[Bug] Dependency Resolution Issues with Bazel (Cannot find module 'ws' from)

[jacob-petterle]

Describe the Bug

When using @mendable/firecrawl-js in a Bazel project, the package fails to resolve its dependencies properly. The isows dependency can't find the ws module even when both are installed and available in the build environment.

This seems related to #885 where similar issues occur in Firebase Functions, suggesting a broader problem with how dependencies are handled in non-Node environments.

To Reproduce

Here's a minimal reproduction using basic Bazel + TypeScript setup:

1. Dependencies in package.json:

{
  "dependencies": {
    "@mendable/firecrawl-js": "1.11.2",
    "isows": "^1.0.1",
    "ws": "^8.18.0"
  }
}

2. Bazel setup (any standard Node.js rules like rules_nodejs or better_rules_javascript):

# WORKSPACE
workspace(name = "my_workspace")

# Load your preferred Node.js Bazel rules and setup npm

3. Basic BUILD target:

ts_library(
    name = "lib",
    srcs = ["index.ts"],
    deps = [
        "@npm//@mendable/firecrawl-js",
        "@npm//isows",
        "@npm//ws",
    ],
)

4. Error Output:

Cannot find module 'ws' from '../../../npm_isows_1.0.6-0e085c71/files/_cjs/index.js'
Require stack:
- .../npm_isows_1.0.6-0e085c71/files/_cjs/index.js
- .../npm_mendable_firecrawl-js_1.11.2/files/dist/index.cjs

Expected Behavior

Package should work in Bazel builds just like it does in standard Node.js environments.

Environment

• Firecrawl Version: 1.11.2
• Node.js Version: 20.x
• Build System: Bazel
• OS: Linux (but reproducible on any OS)

Technical Details

The error comes from isows not being able to find ws through standard Node.js module resolution. This happens in Bazel because it enforces strict dependency declarations and module resolution.

Similar issue reported in #885 for Firebase Functions - both environments have strict dependency handling that differs from standard Node.js resolution.

Business Impact

We were planning to use Firecrawl (Standard Plan -> Growth Plan within 6 months) but this blocker is forcing us to evaluate alternatives since we need Bazel compatibility for our build system.

Additional Notes

• Tried explicit dependency declarations at multiple levels
• Tried various Bazel Node.js rule configurations
• Issue persists regardless of specific Bazel Node.js rules used

[nickscamara]

Hey @jacob-petterle, @mogery is looking into it! Thanks for reporting the issue!

[mogery]

Hi Jacob, I can not set up Bazel for the life of me. Can you please provide an example config/directory tree/minimum recreation repo?