rollup-presets is a Rollup config toolkit for TypeScript libraries. It reads bundle entry points from package.json, builds ESM and CJS outputs with esbuild, generates declaration files, resolves TypeScript paths, and leaves escape hatches for custom Rollup plugins.

• Build library outputs from main, module, types, source, or conditional exports
• Generate ESM, CJS, and TypeScript declaration outputs from one preset
• Keep package dependencies external by default
• Resolve tsconfig paths before transform plugins run
• Add custom plugins in predictable pre, transform, and post stages

// rollup.config.js
const { libraryPreset } = require('rollup-presets');

module.exports = libraryPreset({
  formats: ['esm', 'cjs', 'types'],
  preserveModules: true
});

Install

npm install -D rollup typescript rollup-presets

rollup-presets requires Node.js 24 or newer.

libraryPreset expects a tsconfig.json in the package. Use compilerOptions to override parsed TypeScript options when needed.

Usage

Add bundle paths to package.json:

{
  "name": "my-library",
  "source": "./src/index.ts",
  "main": "./dist/cjs/index.js",
  "module": "./dist/esm/index.js",
  "types": "./dist/types/index.d.ts"
}

Then create rollup.config.js:

const { libraryPreset } = require('rollup-presets');

module.exports = libraryPreset();

The preset returns Rollup configs for the requested formats. By default it builds ESM, CJS, and declaration output.

With the default useTsc: true, declarations are emitted by tsc --emitDeclarationOnly. Set declarationDir or outDir in tsconfig.json so declaration output matches your types and exports metadata. Set useTsc: false to generate declaration Rollup configs from package metadata instead.

Package Exports

libraryPreset can also read conditional exports:

{
  "exports": {
    ".": {
      "source": "./src/index.ts",
      "import": "./dist/esm/index.js",
      "require": "./dist/cjs/index.js",
      "types": "./dist/types/index.d.ts"
    }
  }
}

For packages with multiple entry points, add one export per entry:

{
  "exports": {
    ".": {
      "source": "./src/index.ts",
      "import": "./dist/esm/index.js",
      "require": "./dist/cjs/index.js",
      "types": "./dist/types/index.d.ts"
    },
    "./react": {
      "source": "./src/react/index.ts",
      "import": "./dist/react/esm/index.js",
      "require": "./dist/react/cjs/index.js",
      "types": "./dist/react/types/index.d.ts"
    }
  }
}

Direct source, import, require, and types string fields are supported. Nested import and require export objects use their default field for JavaScript output and types for declarations. crossModuleImports requires direct string subpath exports.

When preserveModules is enabled, ESM and CJS output paths become Rollup dir values. For example, ./dist/esm/index.js becomes ./dist/esm, and entryFileNames keeps the file extension. When preserveModules is disabled, output paths are used as single output files.

Library Preset

libraryPreset(options)

Creates Rollup configs for TypeScript libraries.

const { libraryPreset } = require('rollup-presets');

module.exports = libraryPreset({
  environment: 'production',
  formats: ['esm', 'cjs', 'types'],
  preserveModules: true,
  sourcemap: false,
  esbuildOptions: {
    target: 'es2020'
  }
});

| Option | Default | Description | | -------------------- | --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- | | environment | process.env.NODE_ENV or development | Controls production minification and default sourcemaps | | formats | ['esm', 'cjs', 'types'] | Output formats to create | | preserveModules | true | Preserve module structure in output | | sourcemap | true in development | Generate Rollup sourcemaps | | useTsc | true | Use tsc --emitDeclarationOnly for declarations | | crossModuleImports | false | Rewrite internal package entry imports for multi-entry builds | | plugins | {} | Extra Rollup plugins grouped by build stage | | esbuildOptions | {} | Options passed to rollup-plugin-esbuild | | compilerOptions | {} | TypeScript compiler option overrides | | onCreateConfig | undefined | Last chance to edit each generated Rollup config | | debug | false | Print resolved paths and declaration details |

Plugin Stages

Use plugin stages to place custom behavior around the preset defaults:

const replace = require('@rollup/plugin-replace');
const { libraryPreset } = require('rollup-presets');

module.exports = libraryPreset({
  plugins: {
    pre: [
      replace({
        preventAssignment: true,
        values: { __DEV__: 'false' }
      })
    ],
    transform: [cssPlugin()],
    post: [analyzePlugin()]
  }
});

| Stage | Runs before or after | Good for | | ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | | pre | Before cross-module import rewriting, externals, CommonJS, TS paths, and esbuild | replacements, virtual modules, setup | | transform | After TS path resolution, before esbuild | CSS, assets, path-aware transforms | | post | After esbuild | analysis, compression, reporting |

Built-in Plugins

tsPathsPlugin(options)

Resolves TypeScript paths and optional baseUrl imports through TypeScript's resolver.

const { tsPathsPlugin } = require('rollup-presets');

tsPathsPlugin({
  tsConfigPath: './tsconfig.json',
  resolveRelative: true
});

tsDeclarationsPlugin(options)

Emits declaration files through the TypeScript compiler API. The library preset defaults to useTsc: true, which is usually more reliable for preserved module builds.

const { tsDeclarationsPlugin } = require('rollup-presets');

tsDeclarationsPlugin({
  tsConfigPath: './tsconfig.json',
  extension: '.d.ts'
});

createCrossModuleImportPlugin(options)

Rewrites internal imports between package entry points when crossModuleImports is enabled in libraryPreset.

createRollupVirtualConfig(options)

Creates a Rollup-compatible virtual config for build steps that are easier to run as code, such as calling tsc.

FAQ

Why does libraryPreset read from package.json?

Package metadata is already the contract users consume. Reading bundle paths from package.json keeps the published entry points and build outputs in sync.

Why is useTsc enabled by default?

Declaration generation is more reliable with tsc when preserveModules is enabled, especially for packages with multiple entry points and internal cross-imports.

When should I enable crossModuleImports?

Enable it for multi-entry packages where one exported entry imports another exported entry through a relative source path. Leave it off for single-entry libraries or packages without cross-entry imports.

Why does the library preset target ES6 output?

Published libraries should avoid surprising consumers with modern syntax requirements. The preset targets ES6 by default for broad output compatibility. Use esbuildOptions.target when a package intentionally targets modern runtimes.

The esbuild target controls emitted JavaScript syntax, not available runtime APIs. Add polyfills or document runtime requirements for newer APIs your library calls.

Can I still customize the generated Rollup config?

Yes. Use plugin stages for normal customization, or onCreateConfig when you need to edit each generated config directly.