Skills tsdown

Bundle TypeScript and JavaScript libraries with blazing-fast speed powered by Rolldown. Use when building libraries, generating type declarations, bundling for multiple formats, or migrating from tsup.

install
source · Clone the upstream repo
git clone https://github.com/antfu/skills
Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/antfu/skills "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/tsdown" ~/.claude/skills/antfu-skills-tsdown && rm -rf "$T"
manifest: skills/tsdown/SKILL.md
source content

tsdown - The Elegant Library Bundler

Blazing-fast bundler for TypeScript/JavaScript libraries powered by Rolldown and Oxc.

When to Use

  • Building TypeScript/JavaScript libraries for npm
  • Generating TypeScript declaration files (.d.ts)
  • Bundling for multiple formats (ESM, CJS, IIFE, UMD)
  • Optimizing bundles with tree shaking and minification
  • Migrating from tsup with minimal changes
  • Building React, Vue, Solid, or Svelte component libraries

Quick Start

# Install
pnpm add -D tsdown

# Basic usage
npx tsdown

# With config file
npx tsdown --config tsdown.config.ts

# Watch mode
npx tsdown --watch

# Migrate from tsup
npx tsdown-migrate

Basic Configuration

import { defineConfig } from 'tsdown'

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['./src/index.ts'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  dts: true,
  clean: true,
})

Core References

TopicDescriptionReference
Getting StartedInstallation, first bundle, CLI basicsguide-getting-started
Configuration FileConfig file formats, multiple configs, workspaceoption-config-file
CLI ReferenceAll CLI commands and optionsreference-cli
Migrate from tsupMigration guide and compatibility notesguide-migrate-from-tsup
PluginsRolldown, Rollup, Unplugin supportadvanced-plugins
HooksLifecycle hooks for custom logicadvanced-hooks
Programmatic APIBuild from Node.js scriptsadvanced-programmatic
Rolldown OptionsPass options directly to Rolldownadvanced-rolldown-options
CI EnvironmentCI detection,
'ci-only'
/
'local-only'
values
advanced-ci

Build Options

OptionUsageReference
Entry points
entry: ['src/*.ts', '!**/*.test.ts']
option-entry
Output formats
format: ['esm', 'cjs', 'iife', 'umd']
option-output-format
Output directory
outDir: 'dist'
,
outExtensions
option-output-directory
Type declarations
dts: true
,
dts: { sourcemap, compilerOptions, vue }
option-dts
Target environment
target: 'es2020'
,
target: 'esnext'
option-target
Platform
platform: 'node'
,
platform: 'browser'
option-platform
Tree shaking
treeshake: true
, custom options
option-tree-shaking
Minification
minify: true
,
minify: 'dce-only'
option-minification
Source maps
sourcemap: true
,
'inline'
,
'hidden'
option-sourcemap
Watch mode
watch: true
, watch options
option-watch-mode
Cleaning
clean: true
, clean patterns
option-cleaning
Log level
logLevel: 'silent'
,
failOnWarn: false
option-log-level

Dependency Handling

FeatureUsageReference
Never bundle
deps: { neverBundle: ['react', /^@myorg\//] }
option-dependencies
Always bundle
deps: { alwaysBundle: ['dep-to-bundle'] }
option-dependencies
Only bundle
deps: { onlyBundle: ['cac', 'bumpp'] }
- Whitelist
option-dependencies
Skip node_modules
deps: { skipNodeModulesBundle: true }
option-dependencies
Auto externalAutomatic peer/dependency externalizationoption-dependencies

Output Enhancement

FeatureUsageReference
Shims
shims: true
- Add ESM/CJS compatibility
option-shims
CJS default
cjsDefault: true
(default) /
false
option-cjs-default
Package exports
exports: true
- Auto-generate exports field
option-package-exports
CSS handling[experimental]
css: { ... }
— full pipeline with preprocessors, Lightning CSS, PostCSS, code splitting; requires
@tsdown/css
option-css
CSS inject
css: { inject: true }
— preserve CSS imports in JS output
option-css
Unbundle mode
unbundle: true
- Preserve directory structure
option-unbundle
Root directory
root: 'src'
- Control output directory mapping
option-root
Executable[experimental]
exe: true
- Bundle as standalone executable, cross-platform via
@tsdown/exe
option-exe
Package validation
publint: true
,
attw: true
- Validate package
option-lint

Framework & Runtime Support

FrameworkGuideReference
ReactJSX transform, React Compilerrecipe-react
VueSFC support, JSXrecipe-vue
SolidSolidJS JSX transformrecipe-solid
SvelteSvelte component libraries (source distribution recommended)recipe-svelte
WASMWebAssembly modules via
rolldown-plugin-wasm
recipe-wasm

Common Patterns

Basic Library Bundle

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  dts: true,
  clean: true,
})

Multiple Entry Points

export default defineConfig({
  entry: {
    index: 'src/index.ts',
    utils: 'src/utils.ts',
    cli: 'src/cli.ts',
  },
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  dts: true,
})

Browser Library (IIFE/UMD)

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  format: ['iife'],
  globalName: 'MyLib',
  platform: 'browser',
  minify: true,
})

React Component Library

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.tsx'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  dts: true,
  deps: {
    neverBundle: ['react', 'react-dom'],
  },
  inputOptions: {
    jsx: { runtime: 'automatic' },
  },
})

Preserve Directory Structure

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/**/*.ts', '!**/*.test.ts'],
  unbundle: true, // Preserve file structure
  format: ['esm'],
  dts: true,
})

CI-Aware Configuration

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  dts: true,
  failOnWarn: 'ci-only',  // opt-in: fail on warnings in CI
  publint: 'ci-only',
  attw: 'ci-only',
})

WASM Support

import { wasm } from 'rolldown-plugin-wasm'
import { defineConfig } from 'tsdown'

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

Library with CSS and Sass

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  dts: true,
  target: 'chrome100',
  css: {
    preprocessorOptions: {
      scss: {
        additionalData: `@use "src/styles/variables" as *;`,
      },
    },
  },
})

Standalone Executable

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

Cross-Platform Executable (requires
@tsdown/exe
)

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/cli.ts'],
  exe: {
    targets: [
      { platform: 'linux', arch: 'x64', nodeVersion: '25.7.0' },
      { platform: 'darwin', arch: 'arm64', nodeVersion: '25.7.0' },
      { platform: 'win', arch: 'x64', nodeVersion: '25.7.0' },
    ],
  },
})

Advanced with Hooks

export default defineConfig({
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  dts: true,
  hooks: {
    'build:before': async (context) => {
      console.log('Building...')
    },
    'build:done': async (context) => {
      console.log('Build complete!')
    },
  },
})

Configuration Features

Multiple Configs

Export an array for multiple build configurations:

export default defineConfig([
  {
    entry: ['src/index.ts'],
    format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
    dts: true,
  },
  {
    entry: ['src/cli.ts'],
    format: ['esm'],
    platform: 'node',
  },
])

Conditional Config

Use functions for dynamic configuration:

export default defineConfig((options) => {
  const isDev = options.watch
  return {
    entry: ['src/index.ts'],
    format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
    minify: !isDev,
    sourcemap: isDev,
  }
})

Workspace/Monorepo

Use glob patterns to build multiple packages:

export default defineConfig({
  workspace: 'packages/*',
  entry: ['src/index.ts'],
  format: ['esm', 'cjs'],
  dts: true,
})

CLI Quick Reference

# Basic commands
tsdown                          # Build once
tsdown --watch                  # Watch mode
tsdown --config custom.ts       # Custom config
npx tsdown-migrate              # Migrate from tsup

# Output options
tsdown --format esm,cjs        # Multiple formats
tsdown -d lib                  # Custom output directory (--out-dir)
tsdown --minify                # Enable minification
tsdown --dts                   # Generate declarations
tsdown --exe                   # Bundle as standalone executable
tsdown --unbundle              # Bundleless mode

# Entry options
tsdown src/index.ts            # Single entry
tsdown src/*.ts                # Glob patterns
tsdown src/a.ts src/b.ts       # Multiple entries

# Workspace / Monorepo
tsdown -W                      # Enable workspace mode
tsdown -W -F my-package        # Filter specific package
tsdown --filter /^pkg-/        # Filter by regex

# Development
tsdown --watch                 # Watch mode
tsdown --sourcemap             # Generate source maps
tsdown --clean                 # Clean output directory
tsdown --from-vite             # Reuse Vite config
tsdown --tsconfig tsconfig.build.json  # Custom tsconfig

Best Practices

  1. Always generate type declarations for TypeScript libraries:

    { dts: true }
    
  2. Externalize dependencies to avoid bundling unnecessary code:

    { deps: { neverBundle: [/^react/, /^@myorg\//] } }
    
  3. Use tree shaking for optimal bundle size:

    { treeshake: true }
    
  4. Enable minification for production builds:

    { minify: true }
    
  5. Add shims for better ESM/CJS compatibility:

    { shims: true }  // Adds __dirname, __filename, etc.
    
  6. Auto-generate package.json exports:

    { exports: true }  // Creates proper exports field
    
  7. Use watch mode during development:

    tsdown --watch
    
  8. Preserve structure for utilities with many files:

    { unbundle: true }  // Keep directory structure
    
  9. Validate packages in CI before publishing:

    { publint: 'ci-only', attw: 'ci-only' }
    

Resources