rollup-plugin-watch-globs

2.0.1 verified Mon Apr 27 auth: no javascript

A Rollup plugin that extends the watch mode to monitor arbitrary file globs (e.g., static assets, stylesheets, HTML) not in the module graph. Currently v2.0.1, maintained by Caleb Evans. Key differentiator: unlike relying on Rollup's default watch (which only tracks JS/TS files in the dependency graph), this plugin explicitly adds glob patterns to trigger rebuilds, complementing tools like rollup-plugin-copy. Released under MIT License, requires rollup >=2.0.0 as a peer dependency. A lightweight, focused solution with no runtime dependencies beyond rollup.

Common errors

error TypeError: watchGlobs is not a function ↓

cause Incorrect import style (CommonJS without .default or wrong ESM import).

fix

Use: import watchGlobs from 'rollup-plugin-watch-globs' (ESM) or const watchGlobs = require('rollup-plugin-watch-globs').default (CJS).

error Error: The 'watchGlobs' plugin hook 'watchChange' threw an error: Unexpected glob pattern ↓

cause Passed a string instead of an array of strings.

fix

Wrap glob pattern in an array: watchGlobs(['public/**/*.*'])

Warnings

gotcha Glob patterns must be provided as an array of strings, not an object or single string. ↓

fix Ensure the argument is an array: watchGlobs(['**/*.css'])

gotcha This plugin only adds file watching; it does not handle actual copying or processing of watched files (use e.g., rollup-plugin-copy). ↓

fix Combine with appropriate plugins for actions on change.

breaking v2.x changed the default export to be a callable function; previously it might have been a factory or object. ↓

fix Use import watchGlobs from 'rollup-plugin-watch-globs' and call it directly.

Install

npm install rollup-plugin-watch-globs

yarn add rollup-plugin-watch-globs

pnpm add rollup-plugin-watch-globs

Imports

watchGlobs
wrong
```
const watchGlobs = require('rollup-plugin-watch-globs')
```
correct
```
import watchGlobs from 'rollup-plugin-watch-globs'
```
Default ESM export. CommonJS require() works only if package supports dual CJS/ESM; check your Rollup config's format.

watchGlobs

wrong

const watchGlobs = require('rollup-plugin-watch-globs')

correct

const watchGlobs = require('rollup-plugin-watch-globs').default

In CommonJS, you must use .default because the package exports an ESM default.

rollup.config.js

wrong

plugins: [watchGlobs({ patterns: [...] })]

correct

plugins: [watchGlobs([ 'public/**/*.*', 'src/styles/*.scss' ])]

The function accepts an array of glob strings, not an options object.

Quickstart

Shows how to import and configure watchGlobs with two glob patterns to watch static assets and stylesheets.

// rollup.config.js
import watchGlobs from 'rollup-plugin-watch-globs';

export default {
  input: 'src/index.js',
  output: {
    dir: 'dist',
    format: 'esm'
  },
  plugins: [
    watchGlobs([
      'public/**/*.*',
      'src/styles/*.scss'
    ])
  ]
};