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

> whatwg-mimetype@5.0.0 is a CommonJS package. CommonJS — require() works on every Node.js version we test.

Parses, serializes, and manipulates MIME types, according to the WHATWG MIME Sniffing Standard

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against whatwg-mimetype@5.0.0.

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

## Facts

- Latest: 5.0.0 (Jan 20, 2026)
- Module format: CommonJS
- Last CommonJS version: 5.0.0
- TypeScript types: @types/whatwg-mimetype
- Node engines: >=20
- Weekly downloads: 112.7M
- License: MIT

## Runtime test results for whatwg-mimetype@5.0.0

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

| Runtime | require("whatwg-mimetype") | import "whatwg-mimetype" |
|---|---|---|
| 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 whatwg-mimetype

ES modules:

```js
import whatwgMimetype from "whatwg-mimetype";
```

CommonJS:

```js
const whatwgMimetype = require("whatwg-mimetype");
```

## Module format by version

Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (8 versions; the newest 8 shown).

| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0.0 – 5.0.0 | CommonJS | Dec 10, 2017 |

## Frequently asked

**Is whatwg-mimetype ESM-only?**

whatwg-mimetype@5.0.0 is a CommonJS package. whatwg-mimetype ships CommonJS only. require("whatwg-mimetype") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >=20. import "whatwg-mimetype" 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 whatwg-mimetype with ES module syntax?**

Yes. import whatwgMimetype from "whatwg-mimetype" 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 whatwg-mimetype work in Bun?**

Yes. import "whatwg-mimetype" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4.0 on Sep 9, 2026.

**Does whatwg-mimetype ship TypeScript types?**

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

## Links

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

---

For scripts and AI agents: any package is at https://canirequire.com/package/<name>/index.md (Markdown) or https://canirequire.com/package/<name>.json (JSON); the site index is https://canirequire.com/llms.txt. Fetch the URL directly; no search needed.