schema_version: 1 id: developer-script-modules-dependencies-and-imports slug: /developer/script-modules/dependencies-and-imports/ title: Dependencies And Imports section: Developer topic: Script Modules audience: plugin, theme, and block developers status: source-backed-draft review_state: needs-human-review source_set: script-modules-pilot source_commit: 58f02a0278b49f35436ecd14a73a9701f1a115ef source_paths:

• src/wp-includes/script-modules.php
• src/wp-includes/class-wp-script-modules.php
• src/wp-includes/assets/script-modules-packages.php generated_by: technical-docs-agent-compatible pilot slice generation_note: Prepared from source-backed page specs; not a full WP Codebox runtime corpus run. generated_at: 2026-06-16T16:38:25Z nav: label: Dependencies And Imports parent: /developer/script-modules/ order: 30 search: weight: 0.85 keywords:
  • static import
  • dynamic import
  • import map
  • modulepreload

Script Module dependencies are declared by module identifier. A dependency can be a string or an array with an id key and an optional import key.

wp_register_script_module(
    'my-plugin/search',
    plugins_url( 'assets/search.js', __FILE__ ),
    array(
        '@wordpress/interactivity',
        array( 'id' => 'my-plugin/search-overlay', 'import' => 'dynamic' ),
    ),
    '1.0.0'
);

String dependencies are treated as static imports. Array dependencies default to static imports unless import is set to dynamic.

Static Dependencies

Static dependencies are part of the initial module graph. WordPress uses them when it sorts dependencies, builds import-map entries, and prints module preload links.

Use static dependencies for modules imported at the top of your JavaScript module.

import { store } from '@wordpress/interactivity';

Dynamic Dependencies

Dynamic dependencies are still known to WordPress, but they represent modules loaded later with dynamic import.

Use dynamic dependencies for code paths that load on demand.

const overlay = await import( 'my-plugin/search-overlay' );

Missing Dependencies

WordPress validates dependency IDs while sorting the module graph. If a dependency has not been registered, WordPress triggers a developer warning and the affected branch is not printed from that dependency path.

That behavior is useful during development because it catches typos and registration-order mistakes before they become silent frontend failures.

Core Default Modules

WordPress registers default modules from src/wp-includes/assets/script-modules-packages.php. File names are converted into identifiers by prefixing @wordpress/ and removing .js, .min.js, and a trailing /index when present.

Examples from the source inventory include:

• static import
• dynamic import
• import map
• modulepreload

Several Core block-library modules depend statically on @wordpress/interactivity. The query block view module also records a dynamic dependency on @wordpress/interactivity-router.