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

> rollup-watch@4.3.1 is a CommonJS package. CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version we test.

Watch files for changes and perform incremental rebuilds with Rollup

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against rollup-watch@4.3.1.

rollup-watch ships CommonJS only. require("rollup-watch") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. import "rollup-watch" 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.

**Deprecated:** rollup-watch functionality is now included in Rollup itself

## What to do

1. require("rollup-watch") 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 rollupWatch from "rollup-watch"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
3. TypeScript: no types are available for rollup-watch; declare the module yourself if you need them.
4. This package is deprecated: rollup-watch functionality is now included in Rollup itself

## Facts

- Latest: 4.3.1 (Jul 12, 2017)
- Module format: CommonJS
- Last CommonJS version: 4.3.1
- TypeScript types: none
- Node engines: not declared
- Weekly downloads: 69K
- License: MIT

## Runtime test results for rollup-watch@4.3.1

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

| Runtime | require("rollup-watch") | import "rollup-watch" |
|---|---|---|
| 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 rollup-watch

ES modules:

```js
import rollupWatch from "rollup-watch";
```

CommonJS:

```js
const rollupWatch = require("rollup-watch");
```

## Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (18 versions; the newest 18 shown).

| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0.0 – 4.3.1 | CommonJS | Jun 8, 2016 |

## Frequently asked

**Is rollup-watch ESM-only?**

rollup-watch@4.3.1 is a CommonJS package. rollup-watch ships CommonJS only. require("rollup-watch") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. import "rollup-watch" 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 rollup-watch with ES module syntax?**

Yes. import rollupWatch from "rollup-watch" 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 rollup-watch work in Bun?**

Yes. import "rollup-watch" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026.

**Does rollup-watch ship TypeScript types?**

No. rollup-watch ships no type declarations and there is no @types package for it.

## Links

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

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