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

> jsdoc@4.0.5 has no importable main entry. No JavaScript entry point.

An API documentation generator for JavaScript.

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against jsdoc@4.0.5.

jsdoc does not expose a JavaScript entry point in package.json. It is likely a CLI, a stylesheet, a type-definition package, or an asset bundle, so require() and import are not the way to use it.

## What to do

1. Do not require() or import jsdoc: it has no JavaScript entry point. Use it as a CLI (npx jsdoc), a stylesheet, an asset, or a type-definition package as its README describes.
2. TypeScript: no types are available for jsdoc; declare the module yourself if you need them.

## Facts

- Latest: 4.0.5 (Oct 8, 2025)
- Module format: No JS entry point
- Last CommonJS version: 0.0.0
- TypeScript types: none
- Node engines: >=12.0.0
- Weekly downloads: 2.6M
- License: Apache-2.0

## Runtime test results for jsdoc@4.0.5

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

| Runtime | require("jsdoc") | import "jsdoc" |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js 18 | fails (MODULE_NOT_FOUND) | fails (ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND) |
| Node.js 20 | fails (MODULE_NOT_FOUND) | fails (ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND) |
| Node.js 22 | fails (MODULE_NOT_FOUND) | fails (ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND) |
| Node.js 24 | fails (MODULE_NOT_FOUND) | fails (ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND) |
| Node.js 26 | fails (MODULE_NOT_FOUND) | fails (ERR_MODULE_NOT_FOUND) |
| Bun 1.4.0 | fails (Error) | fails (Error) |

## How to import jsdoc

ES modules:

```js
import * as jsdoc from "jsdoc";
```

## Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (36 versions; the newest 36 shown).

| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 3.2.0 – 4.0.5 | No JS entry point | Jun 24, 2013 |
| 0.0.0 | CommonJS | Sep 19, 2011 |

## Frequently asked

**Is jsdoc ESM-only?**

jsdoc@4.0.5 has no importable main entry. jsdoc does not expose a JavaScript entry point in package.json. It is likely a CLI, a stylesheet, a type-definition package, or an asset bundle, so require() and import are not the way to use it.

**Does jsdoc work in Bun?**

Importing jsdoc failed in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026: error: Cannot find package 'jsdoc' from '/Users/boat/Projects/top-seo/data/probe-work/jsdoc/imp.mjs'

**Does jsdoc ship TypeScript types?**

No. jsdoc ships no type declarations and there is no @types package for it.

## Links

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

---

For scripts and AI agents: any package is at https://canirequire.com/package/<name>/index.md (Markdown) or https://canirequire.com/package/<name>.json (JSON); the site index is https://canirequire.com/llms.txt. Fetch the URL directly; no search needed.