agent-skills/skills/tsdown/references/option-dependencies.md

Dependencies

Control how dependencies are bundled or externalized.

Overview

tsdown intelligently handles dependencies to keep your library lightweight while ensuring all necessary code is included.

Default Behavior

Auto-Externalized

These are NOT bundled by default:

• dependencies - Installed automatically with your package
• peerDependencies - User must install manually

Conditionally Bundled

These are bundled ONLY if imported:

• devDependencies - Only if actually used in source code
• Phantom dependencies - In node_modules but not in package.json

Configuration Options

external

Mark dependencies as external (not bundled):

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  external: [
    'react',              // Single package
    'react-dom',
    /^@myorg\//,         // Regex pattern (all @myorg/* packages)
    /^lodash/,           // All lodash packages
  ],
})

noExternal

Force dependencies to be bundled:

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  noExternal: [
    'some-package',      // Bundle this even if in dependencies
    'vendor-lib',
  ],
})

skipNodeModulesBundle

Skip resolving and bundling ALL node_modules:

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  skipNodeModulesBundle: true,
})

Result: No dependencies from node_modules are parsed or bundled.

Common Patterns

React Component Library

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.tsx'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  external: [
    'react',
    'react-dom',
    /^react\//,          // react/jsx-runtime, etc.
  ],
  dts: true,
})

Utility Library with Shared Deps

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  // Bundle lodash utilities
  noExternal: ['lodash-es'],
  dts: true,
})

Monorepo Package

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  external: [
    /^@mycompany\//,     // Don't bundle other workspace packages
  ],
  dts: true,
})

CLI Tool (Bundle Everything)

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/cli.ts'],
  format: ['esm'],
  platform: 'node',
  // Bundle all dependencies for standalone CLI
  noExternal: [/.*/],
  shims: true,
})

Library with Specific Externals

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  external: [
    'vue',
    '@vue/runtime-core',
    '@vue/reactivity',
  ],
  dts: true,
})

Declaration Files

Dependency handling for .d.ts files follows the same rules as JavaScript.

Complex Type Resolution

Use TypeScript resolver for complex third-party types:

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  dts: {
    resolver: 'tsc',     // Use TypeScript resolver instead of Oxc
  },
})

When to use tsc resolver:

• Types in @types/* packages with non-standard naming (e.g., @types/babel__generator)
• Complex type dependencies
• Issues with default Oxc resolver

Trade-off: tsc is slower but more compatible.

CLI Usage

External

tsdown --external react --external react-dom
tsdown --external '/^@myorg\/.*/'

No External

tsdown --no-external some-package

Examples by Use Case

Framework Component

// Don't bundle framework
export default defineConfig({
  external: ['vue', 'react', 'solid-js', 'svelte'],
})

Standalone App

// Bundle everything
export default defineConfig({
  noExternal: [/.*/],
  skipNodeModulesBundle: false,
})

Shared Library

// Bundle only specific utils
export default defineConfig({
  external: [/.*/],        // External by default
  noExternal: ['tiny-utils'], // Except this one
})

Monorepo Package

// External workspace packages, bundle utilities
export default defineConfig({
  external: [
    /^@workspace\//,     // Other workspace packages
    'react',
    'react-dom',
  ],
  noExternal: [
    'lodash-es',         // Bundle utility libraries
  ],
})

Troubleshooting

Dependency Bundled Unexpectedly

Check if it's in devDependencies and imported. Move to dependencies:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "should-be-external": "^1.0.0"
  }
}

Or explicitly externalize:

export default defineConfig({
  external: ['should-be-external'],
})

Missing Dependency at Runtime

Ensure it's in dependencies or peerDependencies:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "needed-package": "^1.0.0"
  }
}

Or bundle it:

export default defineConfig({
  noExternal: ['needed-package'],
})

Type Resolution Errors

Use TypeScript resolver for complex types:

export default defineConfig({
  dts: {
    resolver: 'tsc',
  },
})

Summary

Default behavior:

• dependencies & peerDependencies → External
• devDependencies & phantom deps → Bundled if imported

Override:

• external → Force external
• noExternal → Force bundled
• skipNodeModulesBundle → Skip all node_modules

Declaration files:

• Same bundling logic as JavaScript
• Use resolver: 'tsc' for complex types

Tips

1. Keep dependencies external for libraries
2. Bundle everything for standalone CLIs
3. Use regex patterns for namespaced packages
4. Check bundle size to verify external/bundled split
5. Test with fresh install to catch missing dependencies
6. Use tsc resolver only when needed (slower)

Related Options

• External - This page
• Platform - Runtime environment
• Output Format - Module formats
• DTS - Type declarations