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

A robust Punycode converter that fully complies to RFC 3492 and RFC 5891, and works on nearly all JavaScript platforms.

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against punycode@2.3.1. Markdown · JSON

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

punycode ships CommonJS only. require("punycode") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=6. import "punycode" 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.

It also declares a "module" field, so bundlers such as webpack, Vite and esbuild pick up an ESM build for tree-shaking.

What to do

  1. require("punycode") 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 punycode from "punycode"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
  3. TypeScript: npm install -D @types/punycode
Latest
2.3.1 (Oct 30, 2023)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
2.3.1
TypeScript types
@types/punycode
Node engines
>=6
Weekly downloads
148.9M
License
MIT

Does punycode@2.3.1 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("punycode")import "punycode"
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 punycode

ES modules (import)

import punycode from "punycode";

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 punycode = require("punycode");

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 (31 versions; the newest 31 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
0.0.1 – 2.3.1CommonJSSep 7, 2011

Frequently asked

Is punycode ESM-only?

punycode@2.3.1 is a CommonJS package. punycode ships CommonJS only. require("punycode") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=6. import "punycode" 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 punycode with ES module syntax?

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

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

Does punycode ship TypeScript types?

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

Links

Other commonjs packages

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