GraphQL helper: false "axios not installed" error due to require() in ESM context (CodeceptJS 4.0.8) #5654

What are you trying to achieve?

Run npx codeceptjs check with the GraphQL helper configured.

What do you get instead?

CodeceptJS throws an error claiming axios is not installed, even though it is present in node_modules.

Error: Required modules are not installed.

RUN: [sudo] npm install -g axios
    at checkHelperRequirements (.../node_modules/codeceptjs/lib/container.js:434:13)
    at .../node_modules/codeceptjs/lib/container.js:370:15

Root cause: GraphQL.js uses require('axios') inside _checkRequirements(), but since CodeceptJS 4 is ESM, require is not defined. This causes the catch block to always trigger and incorrectly report axios as missing.

// node_modules/codeceptjs/lib/helper/GraphQL.js
static _checkRequirements() {
  try {
    require('axios')  // ❌ require is not defined in ESM context
  } catch (e) {
    return ['axios'] // always returns this, even when axios IS installed
  }
}

Suggested fix:

static _checkRequirements() {
  // axios is already imported at the top of this ESM file,
  // so no runtime check is needed here
  return null
}

Details

• CodeceptJS version: 4.0.8
• NodeJS Version: v20.20.2
• Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
• puppeteer || webdriverio || protractor || testcafe version (if related): Playwright 1.39.0
• Configuration file:

helpers: {
  GraphQL: {
    endpoint: 'https://rickandmortyapi.com/graphql',
  },
}