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Is path ESM-only? Can you require() it?

Node.JS path module

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against path@0.12.7. Markdown · JSON

CommonJS CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version we test

path ships CommonJS only. require("path") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. import "path" 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("path") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun.
  2. From ES modules use the default import: import path from "path"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
  3. TypeScript: no types are available for path; declare the module yourself if you need them.
Latest
0.12.7 (Sep 13, 2015)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
0.12.7
TypeScript types
None
Node engines
not declared
Weekly downloads
3.8M
License
MIT

Does path@0.12.7 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("path")import "path"
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 path

ES modules (import)

import path from "path";

Named imports from a CommonJS package only work when Node.js can statically detect them. If a named import fails, use the default import and destructure.

CommonJS (require)

const path = require("path");

Module 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 (4 versions; the newest 4 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
0.4.9 – 0.12.7CommonJSJun 29, 2011

Frequently asked

Is path ESM-only?

path@0.12.7 is a CommonJS package. path ships CommonJS only. require("path") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. import "path" 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 path with ES module syntax?

Yes. import path from "path" 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 path work in Bun?

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

Does path ship TypeScript types?

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

Links

Other commonjs packages

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