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

JavaScript parser and stringifier for YAML

Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against yaml@2.9.0. Markdown · JSON

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

yaml ships CommonJS only. require("yaml") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >= 14.6. import "yaml" 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("yaml") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >= 14.6.
  2. From ES modules use the default import: import yaml from "yaml"; then destructure. Named imports only work when Node.js can statically detect the exports.
  3. TypeScript: types are bundled; install nothing extra.
Latest
2.9.0 (May 11, 2026)
Module format
CommonJS
Last CommonJS version
2.9.0
TypeScript types
Bundled
Node engines
>= 14.6
Weekly downloads
176.1M
License
ISC

Does yaml@2.9.0 actually load? Runtime test results

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

Runtimerequire("yaml")import "yaml"
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 yaml

ES modules (import)

import yaml from "yaml";

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 yaml = require("yaml");

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 (68 versions; the newest 60 shown).

VersionsFormatFirst published
1.0.0 – 2.9.0CommonJSSep 19, 2018

Frequently asked

Is yaml ESM-only?

yaml@2.9.0 is a CommonJS package. yaml ships CommonJS only. require("yaml") works on every Node.js version we test (18, 20, 22, 24 and 26) and in Bun. The package declares Node.js >= 14.6. import "yaml" 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 yaml with ES module syntax?

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

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

Does yaml ship TypeScript types?

Yes. yaml bundles its own type declarations; no @types package is needed.

Links

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