If you’ve been working on modern JavaScript applications, you’ve likely come across dynamic imports—they’re a powerful way to lazy-load code, splitting your bundles and improving load times for users. Tools like Vite and Next.js make this even easier by handling a lot of the heavy lifting during development and builds. Vite, for instance, is a lightning-fast build tool that leverages native ES modules for dev servers, while Next.js is a full-fledged React framework that supports server-side rendering, static generation, and optimized routing out of the box.
But sometimes, when you’re trying to implement dynamic imports (like await import('./some-module')), you run into a pesky TypeScript error: “TS1323: Dynamic import is only supported when ‘–module’ flag is ‘commonjs’ or ‘esNext’.” This usually pops up during compilation, halting your build process and leaving you scratching your head.
This error traces back to TypeScript’s compiler settings, specifically how it handles module systems. It emerged more prominently as projects shifted toward ES modules in the late 2010s, but it still catches people off guard today, especially in setups with outdated or mismatched configurations. Whether you’re prototyping locally or gearing up for deployment—say, to a platform like DigitalOcean—resolving this is essential to keep your workflow smooth. In this guide, I’ll walk you through what causes it, how to fix it in the latest versions of Vite (7.1.5) and Next.js (15.5.4), and practical steps to avoid it moving forward.
We’ll focus on realistic scenarios, like when you’re migrating an older project or customizing your setup.
What Are Dynamic Imports and Why Use Them?
Before diving into the fix, let’s quickly cover the basics. Dynamic imports allow you to load modules asynchronously at runtime, rather than statically at the top of your file. This is great for code-splitting: only load heavy components or libraries when they’re actually needed, reducing initial bundle sizes.
In plain JavaScript, it looks like this:
const loadModule = async () => {
const { default: MyComponent } = await import('./MyComponent');
// Use MyComponent here
};Vite and Next.js both support this natively, but TypeScript adds an extra layer of type-checking that can trigger the error if your config isn’t aligned with modern module standards.
The root cause? TypeScript restricts dynamic imports to certain module systems because import() relies on ES2020+ features. If your tsconfig.json is set to an older module type (like “es2015” or “amd”), the compiler balks, throwing the TS1323 error.
Fixing the Error in Vite
Vite is designed for speed and simplicity, and in its latest version (7.1.5), dynamic imports work seamlessly in most cases—especially if you start with a fresh project via npm create vite@latest. But if you’re dealing with a custom or inherited setup, the error might surface during builds or when running tsc.
Step 1: Check your tsconfig.json. Open it and look for the “module” option under “compilerOptions”. If it’s set to something like “es2015”, that’s likely the culprit.
Step 2: Update the “module” setting to a value that supports dynamic imports. Recommended options include “esnext”, “es2020”, or “es2022”. “esnext” is often the best choice for Vite because it targets the latest ECMAScript features, aligning with Vite’s ESM-first philosophy.
Here’s an example of what your updated tsconfig.json might look like (focus on the “module” line):
{
"compilerOptions": {
"target": "ES2020",
"module": "esnext",
"moduleResolution": "node",
"strict": true,
"esModuleInterop": true,
"skipLibCheck": true,
"forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true
},
"include": ["src/**/*"]
}After making this change, restart your dev server with npm run dev and rebuild if needed. Vite should now handle dynamic imports without complaints.
If you’re using Vite’s glob imports (a variant of dynamic imports, like import.meta.glob('./components/*.tsx')), the same fix applies—these are processed similarly and benefit from the updated module setting.
One caveat: If your project targets older browsers, pair this with Vite’s build options in vite.config.js to ensure proper transpilation:
import { defineConfig } from 'vite';
export default defineConfig({
build: {
target: 'es2020' // Matches your tsconfig target
}
});This keeps everything consistent and prevents runtime issues.
Fixing the Error in Next.js
Next.js (version 15.5.4) takes dynamic imports a step further with its next/dynamic API, which wraps React’s lazy and Suspense for easy lazy-loading in both App Router and Pages Router setups. The error here often appears when you’re using TypeScript in a project with an incompatible module config, especially during next build.
Step 1: Like with Vite, inspect your tsconfig.json. Next.js auto-generates this file when you add TypeScript (by renaming a .js file to .ts or .tsx and running next dev). By default, it sets “module” to “esnext”, but if you’ve modified it or are working on an older project, it might be different.
Step 2: Set “module” to “esnext” or another supported value like “es2020”. Here’s a sample from a fresh Next.js project—adjust yours accordingly:
{
"compilerOptions": {
"target": "es5",
"lib": ["dom", "dom.iterable", "esnext"],
"allowJs": true,
"skipLibCheck": true,
"strict": true,
"noEmit": true,
"esModuleInterop": true,
"module": "esnext",
"moduleResolution": "bundler",
"resolveJsonModule": true,
"isolatedModules": true,
"jsx": "preserve",
"incremental": true,
"plugins": [
{
"name": "next"
}
]
},
"include": ["next-env.d.ts", "**/*.ts", "**/*.tsx", ".next/types/**/*.ts"],
"exclude": ["node_modules"]
}Save the file, then run next build to verify. The error should vanish.
For Next.js-specific dynamic imports, use next/dynamic to avoid hydration issues or other pitfalls:
import dynamic from 'next/dynamic';
const DynamicComponent = dynamic(() => import('../components/MyComponent'), {
ssr: false, // Optional: Disable server-side rendering if needed
loading: () => <p>Loading...</p> // Fallback UI
});This is especially useful in Client Components. Note: Don’t use ssr: false in Server Components, as it will throw a different error—stick to Client Components for that.
If you’re in the App Router, dynamic imports also help with route-based code-splitting, but the TS config fix ensures the compiler doesn’t block you.
How to Avoid This Error in the Future
Prevention is straightforward once you understand the trigger. Start new projects with the official starters: For Vite, use npm create vite@latest my-app -- --template react-ts; for Next.js, npx create-next-app@latest. These set up tsconfig.json with “module”: “esnext” by default, so dynamic imports just work.
Keep your TypeScript version up to date (aim for 5.5+ in 2025 setups), and regularly audit your tsconfig.json—especially after upgrades or when adding plugins. If you’re targeting Node.js environments (like in Next.js middleware), consider “nodenext” as your module option for better compatibility.
As mentioned earlier in the Vite section, aligning your build targets (e.g., in vite.config.js) with your TS config prevents downstream issues. Similarly, in Next.js, leverage next/dynamic over raw import() for framework-specific optimizations, reducing the chance of config mismatches.
Finally, test your builds early. Run tsc --noEmit to catch TS errors without emitting files, or integrate a linter like ESLint with TypeScript rules to flag potential problems before they halt your progress.
