vite-plugin-no-bundle

4.0.0 verified Mon Apr 27 auth: no javascript

Vite plugin that enables building libraries without bundling, preserving the module structure for monorepos and native ESM consumption. Current stable version is 4.0.0 (requires Vite 5). The plugin marks all modules as external, copies static assets like CSS as-is, and supports multiple output formats (ESM, CJS). Released relatively actively with breaking changes in major versions. Differentiators: allows deep imports, consumer-side bundling, and tailored code splitting.

Common errors

error Error: The plugin 'vite-plugin-no-bundle' requires Vite version >=5.0.0. Current version: 4.x.x ↓

cause Using plugin v4 with Vite 4.

fix

Upgrade to Vite 5 (npm install vite@latest) or downgrade plugin to v3.x.

error TypeError: noBundlePlugin is not a function ↓

cause Importing plugin incorrectly using named import.

fix

Use default import: import noBundlePlugin from 'vite-plugin-no-bundle'

error Module not found: Can't resolve 'vite-plugin-no-bundle' in ... ↓

cause Package not installed or CJS require() used with ESM-only package.

fix

Install package (npm i -D vite-plugin-no-bundle) and use ESM import.

Warnings

breaking v4.0.0 drops Vite 4 support, requires Vite 5. ↓

fix Upgrade to Vite 5 or stay on plugin v3.x if using Vite 4.

breaking v3.0.0 removes the 'fileNames' option in favor of 'build.lib.fileName'. ↓

fix Use Vite's built-in 'build.lib.fileName' option instead.

deprecated The plugin is ESM-only. CommonJS require() will throw Module not found or similar errors. ↓

fix Switch to ESM imports or use dynamic import().

gotcha When using non-ESM output formats (e.g., CJS), static asset imports will break because import.meta.url is ESM-only. ↓

fix Use ESM format ('es') for library mode if static assets are needed.

gotcha The 'root' option must match your source folder (default 'src'). Misconfiguration leads to wrong relative paths in output. ↓

fix Set 'root' to the directory containing your entry point (e.g., 'lib' or 'src').

Install

npm install vite-plugin-no-bundle

yarn add vite-plugin-no-bundle

pnpm add vite-plugin-no-bundle

Imports

default

wrong

const noBundlePlugin = require('vite-plugin-no-bundle')

correct

import noBundlePlugin from 'vite-plugin-no-bundle'

Plugin is ESM-only since v3; CJS require will fail.

VitePluginNoBundleOptions

wrong

import { VitePluginNoBundleOptions } from 'vite-plugin-no-bundle'

correct

import type { VitePluginNoBundleOptions } from 'vite-plugin-no-bundle'

Options type is exported as a type; use 'import type' in TypeScript.

noBundlePlugin

wrong

import { noBundlePlugin } from 'vite-plugin-no-bundle'

correct

import noBundlePlugin from 'vite-plugin-no-bundle'

Default export only; named export does not exist.

Quickstart

Configures Vite to build a library without bundling, preserving file structure and copying CSS assets.

import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
import noBundlePlugin from 'vite-plugin-no-bundle';

export default defineConfig({
  build: {
    lib: {
      formats: ['es'],
      entry: 'src/index.ts',
    },
  },
  plugins: [
    noBundlePlugin({
      copy: '**/*.css',
      internal: ['some/dependency'],
      root: 'src',
    }),
  ],
});