jestjs/jest · error · ModuleNotFoundError

Cannot resolve module '${moduleName}' from paths ['${paths}'

Error message

Cannot resolve module '${moduleName}' from paths ['${paths}'] from ${from}

What it means

Thrown as `Resolver.ModuleNotFoundError` from `RequireBuilder.resolve` (cjsRequire.ts:154-158) when `require.resolve(name, { paths: [...] })` is used and the resolver could not find `name` under any of the supplied `paths`. Distinct from the default no-`paths` resolution path; this specifically means the explicit `paths` array was exhausted.

Source

Thrown at packages/jest-runtime/src/internals/cjsRequire.ts:154

        return module;
      }

      for (const searchPath of options.paths) {
        const absolutePath = path.resolve(from, '..', searchPath);

        // required to also resolve files without leading './' directly in the path
        const module = this.resolution.resolveCjsFromDirIfExists(
          absolutePath,
          moduleName,
          [absolutePath],
        );

        if (module) {
          return module;
        }
      }

      throw new Resolver.ModuleNotFoundError(
        `Cannot resolve module '${moduleName}' from paths ['${options.paths.join(
          "', '",
        )}'] from ${from}`,
      );
    }

    try {
      return this.resolution.resolveCjs(from, moduleName);
    } catch (error) {
      const module = this.resolution.getCjsMockModule(from, moduleName);
      if (module) {
        return module;
      }
      throw error;
    }
  }

  private resolvePaths(

View on GitHub (pinned to f49721c78e)

Solutions

1. Print the absolute paths Jest searched and confirm the package is actually there: `console.log(require.resolve.paths(name))`.
2. Install the missing dependency, or fix the `paths` entries to point at the real `node_modules` parent.
3. Add or correct `moduleDirectories` / `roots` in Jest config so default resolution finds it without `paths`.
4. If the import is a workspace package, ensure it's built/linked via the workspace tool (pnpm/yarn/npm workspaces).

Example fix

// before
require.resolve('@scope/pkg', { paths: ['./libs'] }); // not found

// after
require.resolve('@scope/pkg', { paths: [path.resolve(__dirname, '../packages')] });

const fs = require('fs');
const path = require('path');
const candidatePaths = ['./libs', '../packages'].map(p => path.resolve(p));
const visible = candidatePaths.filter(p => fs.existsSync(path.join(p, moduleName)));
if (visible.length === 0) {
  throw new Error(`${moduleName} not found under any of ${candidatePaths.join(', ')}`);
}
require.resolve(moduleName, { paths: candidatePaths });

try {
  return require.resolve(moduleName, { paths });
} catch (e) {
  if (e instanceof Error && e.message.startsWith('Cannot resolve module')) {
    // fall back to a different search strategy or surface a friendlier error
  }
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: `require.resolve('mypackage', { paths: ['/some/dir', '/other/dir'] })` where `mypackage` isn't installed under either. Also when relative paths in `paths` resolve against an unexpected `from` directory.

Common situations: Monorepo setups that hand-construct `paths` from workspace roots. CI environments where `node_modules` lives in a different location than locally. Wrong `moduleDirectories` config.

Related errors

• Cannot find module '${presetPath}'
• Could not resolve a module for a custom reporter. Module n
• The name `${name}` was looked up in the Haste module map. It
• The first argument to require.resolve must be a string. Rece
• The first argument to require.resolve.paths must be a string

AI-assisted analysis of jestjs/jest@f49721c78e (2026-08-03). Data as JSON: /data/errors/ec3811dc74e27e69.json. Report an issue: GitHub.