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

> prompts@2.4.2 is a CommonJS package. CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version we test.

Lightweight, beautiful and user-friendly prompts

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against prompts@2.4.2.

prompts ships CommonJS only. require("prompts") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >= 6. import "prompts" 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("prompts") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >= 6.
2. From ES modules use the default import: import prompts from "prompts"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
3. TypeScript: npm install -D @types/prompts

## Facts

- Latest: 2.4.2 (Oct 7, 2021)
- Module format: CommonJS
- Last CommonJS version: 2.4.2
- TypeScript types: @types/prompts
- Node engines: >= 6
- Weekly downloads: 53.9M
- License: MIT

## Runtime test results for prompts@2.4.2

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

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

ES modules:

```js
import prompts from "prompts";
```

CommonJS:

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

## Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (35 versions; the newest 35 shown).

| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0.0 – 2.4.2 | CommonJS | Feb 18, 2018 |

## Frequently asked

**Is prompts ESM-only?**

prompts@2.4.2 is a CommonJS package. prompts ships CommonJS only. require("prompts") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >= 6. import "prompts" 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 prompts with ES module syntax?**

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

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

**Does prompts ship TypeScript types?**

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

## Links

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

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