# Is escodegen ESM-only? Can you require() it?

> escodegen@2.1.0 is a CommonJS package. CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version we test.

ECMAScript code generator

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against escodegen@2.1.0.

escodegen ships CommonJS only. require("escodegen") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=6.0. import "escodegen" also works because Node.js and Bun can import CommonJS from ES modules, but only the default export is guaranteed; named imports depend on Node's static analysis of the module.

## What to do

1. require("escodegen") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=6.0.
2. From ES modules use the default import: import escodegen from "escodegen"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
3. TypeScript: npm install -D @types/escodegen

## Facts

- Latest: 2.1.0 (Jun 29, 2023)
- Module format: CommonJS
- Last CommonJS version: 2.1.0
- TypeScript types: @types/escodegen
- Node engines: >=6.0
- Weekly downloads: 49.7M
- License: BSD-2-Clause

## Runtime test results for escodegen@2.1.0

Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("escodegen") from a CommonJS file and import "escodegen" from an ES module.

| Runtime | require("escodegen") | import "escodegen" |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js 18 | works | works |
| Node.js 20 | works | works |
| Node.js 22 | works | works |
| Node.js 24 | works | works |
| Node.js 26 | works | works |
| Bun 1.4.0 | works | works |

## How to import escodegen

ES modules:

```js
import escodegen from "escodegen";
```

CommonJS:

```js
const escodegen = require("escodegen");
```

## Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (60 versions; the newest 60 shown).

| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0.1 – 2.1.0 | CommonJS | Mar 3, 2012 |

## Frequently asked

**Is escodegen ESM-only?**

escodegen@2.1.0 is a CommonJS package. escodegen ships CommonJS only. require("escodegen") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=6.0. import "escodegen" also works because Node.js and Bun can import CommonJS from ES modules, but only the default export is guaranteed; named imports depend on Node's static analysis of the module.

**Can I import escodegen with ES module syntax?**

Yes. import escodegen from "escodegen" works in Node.js and Bun because they support importing CommonJS modules. Named imports work only when Node.js can statically detect the exports.

**Does escodegen work in Bun?**

Yes. import "escodegen" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026.

**Does escodegen ship TypeScript types?**

Not bundled. Install the community types with "npm install -D @types/escodegen".

## Links

- [escodegen on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/escodegen)
- [Source repository](https://github.com/estools/escodegen)
- [HTML version](https://canirequire.com/package/escodegen/)
- [JSON version](https://canirequire.com/package/escodegen.json)

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