rollup-plugin-external-node-modules

1.0.1 verified Mon Apr 27 auth: no javascript

Rollup plugin that automatically marks all node_modules packages as external, preventing them from being bundled. Version 1.0.1 is current, stable, and likely low-maintenance. It simplifies Rollup configuration by removing the need to manually list externals. Ships TypeScript types. Key differentiator: zero-config approach compared to manual externals or other plugins like @rollup/plugin-node-resolve combined with externals.

Common errors

error The following Node.js built-in modules were not found: fs, path ↓

cause Plugin externalizes everything in node_modules but not Node.js built-ins if they are not listed as dependencies.

fix

Add Rollup's builtins plugin or manually externalize built-ins: external: ['fs', 'path', ...].

error Error: Could not resolve 'some-package' ↓

cause If 'some-package' is not in node_modules (e.g., a monorepo workspace), the plugin will not externalize it.

fix

Ensure the package is installed or add it to Rollup's 'external' option.

error TypeError: external is not a function ↓

cause Incorrect import; likely used named import instead of default import.

fix

Use import external from 'rollup-plugin-external-node-modules' (default import).

Warnings

gotcha Plugin does not respect Rollup's 'external' option if both are used; run order matters. ↓

fix Do not manually add packages to Rollup's 'external' option when using this plugin, or ensure plugin is listed first.

gotcha Only marks packages under node_modules as external; does not handle deep imports like 'lodash/fp' correctly in all cases. ↓

fix Manually add any specific subpaths to Rollup's 'external' option if needed.

gotcha Plugin does not work with PnP (Plug'n'Play) environments by default; may not detect dependencies correctly. ↓

fix Use with @yarnpkg/plugin-pnp and ensure node_modules is present or handle manually.

Install

npm install rollup-plugin-external-node-modules

yarn add rollup-plugin-external-node-modules

pnpm add rollup-plugin-external-node-modules

Imports

default
wrong
```
const external = require('rollup-plugin-external-node-modules')
```
correct
```
import external from 'rollup-plugin-external-node-modules'
```
Plugin exports a default function via ESM; CommonJS require may not work if package is ESM-only (check package.json: type: module).
externalNodeModules
```
import externalNodeModules from 'rollup-plugin-external-node-modules'
```
The default export is the plugin itself; you can rename it during import. This is not a named export.

types

wrong

import { RollupPluginExternalNodeModules } from 'rollup-plugin-external-node-modules'

correct

import type { RollupPluginExternalNodeModules } from 'rollup-plugin-external-node-modules'

The package ships TypeScript types; type-only imports should use 'import type'. Named export 'RollupPluginExternalNodeModules' does not exist as a value.

Quickstart

Basic Rollup configuration using the plugin to automatically externalize all node_modules packages.

import external from 'rollup-plugin-external-node-modules';
import { defineConfig } from 'rollup';

export default defineConfig({
  input: 'src/index.js',
  output: {
    dir: 'dist',
    format: 'esm',
  },
  plugins: [external()],
});