File modules

If the exact filename is not found, then Node.js will attempt to load the required filename with the added extensions: .js, .json, and finally .node. When loading a file that has a different extension (e.g. .cjs), its full name must be passed to require(), including its file extension (e.g. require('./file.cjs')).

.json files are parsed as JSON text files, .node files are interpreted as compiled addon modules loaded with process.dlopen(). Files using any other extension (or no extension at all) are parsed as JavaScript text files. Refer to the Determining module system section to understand what parse goal will be used.

A required module prefixed with '/' is an absolute path to the file. For example, require('/home/marco/foo.js') will load the file at /home/marco/foo.js.

A required module prefixed with './' is relative to the file calling require(). That is, circle.js must be in the same directory as foo.js for require('./circle') to find it.

Without a leading '/', './', or '../' to indicate a file, the module must either be a core module or is loaded from a node_modules folder.

If the given path does not exist, require() will throw a MODULE_NOT_FOUND error.