canirequire › ESM-only › yargs-parser
Is yargs-parser ESM-only? Can you require() it?
the mighty option parser used by yargs
Last verified Sep 9, 2026 against yargs-parser@22.0.0. JSON
ESM-only ESM-only since 22.0.0 — last CommonJS version is 21.1.1
yargs-parser dropped its CommonJS build in 22.0.0 (May 2025). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 21.1.1, published Aug 4, 2022.
On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and every newer release, require("yargs-parser") works anyway: Node can load synchronous ES modules through require(). Verified on Node 20, 22, 24, 26. Node.js 18 and older still fail with ERR_REQUIRE_ESM.
yargs-parser@22.0.0 declares engines "^20.19.0 || ^22.12.0 || >=23", so Node.js 18 is outside its supported range regardless of module format.
Does yargs-parser@22.0.0 actually load? Runtime test results
Installed and executed on Sep 9, 2026 with require("yargs-parser") from a CommonJS file and import "yargs-parser" from an ES module.
| Runtime | require("yargs-parser") | import "yargs-parser" |
|---|---|---|
| Node.js 18 | ✗ failsERR_REQUIRE_ESM | ✗ failsError: yargs parser supports a minimum Node.js version of 20. Read our version support policy: https://github.com/yargs/yargs-parser#supported-nodejs-versions |
| Node.js 20 | ✓ works | ✓ works |
| Node.js 22 | ✓ works | ✓ works |
| Node.js 24 | ✓ works | ✓ works |
| Node.js 26 | ✓ works | ✓ works |
| Bun 1.4 | ✓ works | ✓ works |
How to import yargs-parser
ES modules (import)
import yargsParser from "yargs-parser";CommonJS (require)
// Node.js 20.19+ / 22.12+ / newer (package has no top-level await):
const yargsParser = require("yargs-parser");
// Any Node.js version:
const yargsParser = await import("yargs-parser");
// Or pin the last CommonJS release:
// npm install yargs-parser@21.1.1Module format by version
Derived from the type, main and exports fields of every stable release on npm (71 versions; the newest 60 shown).
| Versions | Format | First published |
|---|---|---|
| 22.0.0 | ESM-only | May 26, 2025 |
| 19.0.0 – 21.1.1 | Dual (CommonJS + ESM) | Aug 9, 2020 |
| 4.0.0 – 18.1.3 | CommonJS | Sep 26, 2016 |
Frequently asked
Is yargs-parser ESM-only?
yargs-parser@22.0.0 is ESM-only. yargs-parser dropped its CommonJS build in 22.0.0 (May 2025). The last version you can require() on every Node.js version, including 18 and older, is 21.1.1, published Aug 4, 2022.
Which version of yargs-parser still supports CommonJS / require()?
21.1.1 is the last version of yargs-parser with a CommonJS build. Install it with "npm install yargs-parser@21.1.1". Every version from 22.0.0 on is ESM-only.
How do I use yargs-parser from a CommonJS file?
Use a dynamic import: const mod = await import("yargs-parser"). On Node.js 20.19+, 22.12+ and newer, a plain require("yargs-parser") also works for ESM packages that do not use top-level await. Alternatively pin yargs-parser@21.1.1.
Does yargs-parser work in Bun?
Yes. import "yargs-parser" loaded successfully in Bun 1.4 on Sep 9, 2026.
Does yargs-parser ship TypeScript types?
Not bundled. Install the community types with "npm install -D @types/yargs-parser".
Links
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