`require(dir)` ignores `exports` field in `dir/package.json`

[sapphi-red]

Version

22.16.0

Platform

Linux DESKTOP-TJ5RQRK 6.6.87.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu Jun  5 18:30:46 UTC 2025 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

Subsystem

module

What steps will reproduce the bug?

Run the script below.

const fs = require('node:fs')

fs.mkdirSync('./test-dir')
fs.writeFileSync('./test-dir/package.json', JSON.stringify({
  name: 'test-dir',
  main: './main.js',
  exports: './exports.js'
}), 'utf-8')
fs.writeFileSync('./test-dir/main.js', 'module.exports = "main"\n')
fs.writeFileSync('./test-dir/exports.js', 'module.exports = "exports"\n')

const result = require('./test-dir')
console.log(`result: ${result}`)

Another case

const fs = require('node:fs')

fs.mkdirSync('./node_modules/test-dir/foo', { recursive: true })
fs.writeFileSync(
  './node_modules/test-dir/foo/package.json',
  JSON.stringify({
    name: 'test-dir',
    main: './main.js',
    exports: './exports.js',
  }),
  'utf-8',
)
fs.writeFileSync(
  './node_modules/test-dir/foo/main.js',
  'module.exports = "main"\n',
)
fs.writeFileSync(
  './node_modules/test-dir/foo/exports.js',
  'module.exports = "exports"\n',
)

const result = require('test-dir/foo')
console.log(`result: ${result}`)

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

result: exports is output.

What do you see instead?

result: main is output.

Additional information

The behavior is aligned to what it is written in the docs.

But AFAIK this is the only place where exports field is ignored and main field is used. I wonder if this is an intended behavior.

[ljharb]

This is by design; exports only works in a package root. The only package.json settings that node looks at in other directories are type and main.

[sapphi-red]

Thanks for the answer!