esbuild-plugin-lodash

1.2.0 verified Mon Apr 27 auth: no javascript

An esbuild plugin (v1.2.0) that rewrites named imports from 'lodash' to direct module imports like 'lodash/get' to enable tree-shaking. Released on npm, with active maintenance. Similar to babel-plugin-lodash but for esbuild, offering a filter option and support for custom output package (e.g., lodash-es). Distinct from alternatives like manual import optimization or using lodash-es directly. Works with both CJS and ESM, handles quotes, and fixes edge cases like 'lodash/last' imports.

Common errors

error Error: The plugin "esbuild-plugin-lodash" is not compatible with esbuild version X.X.X ↓

cause The plugin has a peer dependency on esbuild; incompatible versions may cause runtime errors.

fix

Ensure esbuild version matches peer dependency range (check package.json). For esbuild >=0.17, consider updating the plugin.

error TypeError: lodashTransformer is not a function ↓

cause In CJS, require returns the module object, not the default export.

fix

Use require('esbuild-plugin-lodash').default or import the ESM version.

error Module not found: Package path ./get is not exported from package lodash (see exports field in ./node_modules/lodash/package.json) ↓

cause Lodash v5 changed its exports map, breaking the transformed import 'lodash/get'.

fix

Use lodash v4.x or set outLodashPackage to 'lodash-es'.

Warnings

gotcha Plugin only works with direct named imports like import { get } from 'lodash'. It does not handle wildcard imports (import * as _ from 'lodash') or default imports (import _ from 'lodash'). ↓

fix Use named imports only, or manually rewrite to path-based imports.

gotcha Plugin does not rewrite calls to chained lodash methods (e.g., _.chain). Only top-level named imports are transformed. ↓

fix Use direct imports per method, or avoid lodash chaining.

deprecated The npm package is named 'esbuild-plugin-lodash', but the most popular lodash tree-shaking plugin for esbuild is now 'esbuild-plugin-lodash-es' or manual tree-shaking. Consider using lodash-es directly instead. ↓

fix Import from 'lodash-es' instead and use esbuild's built-in tree-shaking.

Install

npm install esbuild-plugin-lodash

yarn add esbuild-plugin-lodash

pnpm add esbuild-plugin-lodash

Imports

default
wrong
```
const lodashTransformer = require('esbuild-plugin-lodash');
```
correct
```
import lodashTransformer from 'esbuild-plugin-lodash';
```
The plugin is exported as an ESM default export. For CJS, use default import or require('esbuild-plugin-lodash').default.

lodashTransformer

wrong

import { lodashTransformer } from 'esbuild-plugin-lodash';

correct

import lodashTransformer from 'esbuild-plugin-lodash';

The package exports a single default function; named import will fail.

plugin function call
wrong
```
new lodashTransformer()
```
correct
```
lodashTransformer()
```
The plugin is a factory function, not a class. Call it as a function.

Quickstart

Shows how to use the plugin in an esbuild build, including options for filter and output package.

import esbuild from 'esbuild';
import lodashTransformer from 'esbuild-plugin-lodash';

await esbuild.build({
  entryPoints: ['src/index.js'],
  bundle: true,
  outfile: 'dist/bundle.js',
  plugins: [
    lodashTransformer({
      filter: /.*/,
      outLodashPackage: 'lodash-es'
    }),
  ],
});