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Is magic-string ESM-only? Can you require() it?

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Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against magic-string@1.2.3. JSON

ESM-only ESM-only since 1.0.0 — last CommonJS version is 0.30.21

magic-string dropped its CommonJS build in 1.0.0 (July 2026). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 0.30.21, published Oct 24, 2025.

On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and every newer release, require("magic-string") works anyway: Node can load synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node 20, 22, 24, 26. Node.js 18 and older still fail with ERR_REQUIRE_ESM.

Latest
1.2.3 (Aug 26, 2026)
Module format
ESM-only
Last CommonJS version
0.30.21
ESM-only since
1.0.0 (Jul 16, 2026)
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
not declared
Weekly downloads
174.5M
License
MIT

Does magic-string@1.2.3 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("magic-string")import "magic-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✓ works✓ works

How to import magic-string

ES modules (import)

import magicString from "magic-string";

CommonJS (require)

// Node.js 20.19+ / 22.12+ / newer (package has no top-level await):
const magicString = require("magic-string");

// Any Node.js version:
const magicString = await import("magic-string");

// Or pin the last CommonJS release:
// npm install magic-string@0.30.21

Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (130 versions; the newest 60 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
1.0.0 – 1.2.3ESM-onlyJul 16, 2026
0.26.0 – 0.30.21Dual (CommonJS + ESM)Mar 3, 2022
0.22.0 – 0.25.9CommonJSJul 7, 2017

Frequently asked

Is magic-string ESM-only?

magic-string@1.2.3 is ESM-only. magic-string dropped its CommonJS build in 1.0.0 (July 2026). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 0.30.21, published Oct 24, 2025.

Which version of magic-string still supports CommonJS / require()?

0.30.21 is the last version of magic-string with a CommonJS build. Install it with "npm install magic-string@0.30.21". Every version from 1.0.0 on is ESM-only.

How do I use magic-string from a CommonJS file?

Use a dynamic import: const mod = await import("magic-string"). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, a plain require("magic-string") also works for ESM packages that do not use top-level await. Alternatively pin magic-string@0.30.21.

Does magic-string work in Bun?

Yes. import "magic-string" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4 on Sep 9, 2026.

Does magic-string ship TypeScript types?

Yes. magic-string bundles its own type declarations; no @types package is needed.

Links

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