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

> shelljs@0.10.0 is a CommonJS package. CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version we test.

Portable Unix shell commands for Node.js

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against shelljs@0.10.0.

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

## Facts

- Latest: 0.10.0 (May 9, 2025)
- Module format: CommonJS
- Last CommonJS version: 0.10.0
- TypeScript types: @types/shelljs
- Node engines: >=18
- Weekly downloads: 7.4M
- License: BSD-3-Clause

## Runtime test results for shelljs@0.10.0

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

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

ES modules:

```js
import shelljs from "shelljs";
```

CommonJS:

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

## Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (48 versions; the newest 48 shown).

| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 0.0.1 – 0.10.0 | CommonJS | Mar 2, 2012 |

## Frequently asked

**Is shelljs ESM-only?**

shelljs@0.10.0 is a CommonJS package. shelljs ships CommonJS only. require("shelljs") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=18. import "shelljs" 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 shelljs with ES module syntax?**

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

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

**Does shelljs ship TypeScript types?**

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

## Links

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

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