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

> jsonwebtoken@9.0.3 is a CommonJS package. CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version we test.

JSON Web Token implementation (symmetric and asymmetric)

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against jsonwebtoken@9.0.3.

jsonwebtoken ships CommonJS only. require("jsonwebtoken") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=12. import "jsonwebtoken" 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("jsonwebtoken") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=12.
2. From ES modules use the default import: import jsonwebtoken from "jsonwebtoken"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
3. TypeScript: npm install -D @types/jsonwebtoken

## Facts

- Latest: 9.0.3 (Dec 4, 2025)
- Module format: CommonJS
- Last CommonJS version: 9.0.3
- TypeScript types: @types/jsonwebtoken
- Node engines: >=12
- Weekly downloads: 50.5M
- License: MIT

## Runtime test results for jsonwebtoken@9.0.3

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

| Runtime | require("jsonwebtoken") | import "jsonwebtoken" |
|---|---|---|
| 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 jsonwebtoken

ES modules:

```js
import jsonwebtoken from "jsonwebtoken";
```

CommonJS:

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

## Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (82 versions; the newest 60 shown).

| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 4.2.1 – 9.0.3 | CommonJS | Mar 17, 2015 |

## Frequently asked

**Is jsonwebtoken ESM-only?**

jsonwebtoken@9.0.3 is a CommonJS package. jsonwebtoken ships CommonJS only. require("jsonwebtoken") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=12. import "jsonwebtoken" 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 jsonwebtoken with ES module syntax?**

Yes. import jsonwebtoken from "jsonwebtoken" 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 jsonwebtoken work in Bun?**

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

**Does jsonwebtoken ship TypeScript types?**

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

## Links

- [jsonwebtoken on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/jsonwebtoken)
- [Source repository](https://github.com/auth0/node-jsonwebtoken)
- [HTML version](https://canirequire.com/package/jsonwebtoken/)
- [JSON version](https://canirequire.com/package/jsonwebtoken.json)

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