canirequire › ESM-only › indent-string
Is indent-string ESM-only? Can you require() it?
Indent each line in a string
Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against indent-string@5.0.0. Markdown · JSON
ESM-only ESM-only since 5.0.0 — last CommonJS version is 4.0.0
indent-string dropped its CommonJS build in 5.0.0 (April 2021). The last version with a plain require()-able CommonJS entry is 4.0.0, published Apr 17, 2019; it declares support for Node.js >=8.
On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("indent-string") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26. On Node.js 18, which has no require(esm), require("indent-string") fails with ERR_REQUIRE_ESM.
What to do
- On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("indent-string") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26.
- From a CommonJS file, use a dynamic import inside an async function: const indentString = await import("indent-string"). That works on every Node.js version the package supports (>=12).
- If you need a synchronous require() or run Node.js 18: npm install indent-string@4.0.0, the last CommonJS release (published Apr 17, 2019); it declares Node.js >=8.
- TypeScript: npm install -D @types/indent-string
Does indent-string@5.0.0 actually load? Runtime test results
Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("indent-string") from a CommonJS file and import "indent-string" from an ES module.
| Runtime | require("indent-string") | import "indent-string" |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js 18 | ✗ failsERR_REQUIRE_ESM | ✓ 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 indent-string
ES modules (import)
import * as indentString from "indent-string";Namespace import shown because the ESM entry may have no default export; use named imports for what it exports.
CommonJS (require)
// Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer (verified):
const indentString = require("indent-string");
// Any Node.js version the package supports (>=12), from an async function:
async function main() {
const indentString = await import("indent-string");
}
// Or pin the last CommonJS release (declares Node.js >=8):
// npm install indent-string@4.0.0Module format by version
Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm, corrected where a runtime test of that version contradicted them (16 versions; the newest 16 shown).
| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 5.0.0 | ESM-only | Apr 17, 2021 |
| 0.1.0 – 4.0.0 | CommonJS | Jun 6, 2014 |
Frequently asked
Is indent-string ESM-only?
indent-string@5.0.0 is ESM-only. indent-string dropped its CommonJS build in 5.0.0 (April 2021). The last version with a plain require()-able CommonJS entry is 4.0.0, published Apr 17, 2019; it declares support for Node.js >=8.
Which version of indent-string still supports CommonJS / require()?
4.0.0 is the last version of indent-string with a CommonJS build; it declares Node.js >=8. Install it with "npm install indent-string@4.0.0". Every version from 5.0.0 on is ESM-only.
How do I use indent-string from a CommonJS file?
From a CommonJS file, use a dynamic import inside an async function: const indentString = await import("indent-string"). That works on every Node.js version the package supports (>=12). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, require("indent-string") works with the latest version: Node.js loads synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node.js 20, 22, 24 and 26. Alternatively pin indent-string@4.0.0 (declares Node.js >=8).
Does indent-string work in Bun?
Yes. import "indent-string" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026.
Does indent-string ship TypeScript types?
Not bundled. Install the community types with "npm install -D @types/indent-string".
Links
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