madge-deps
Madge analyzes JavaScript module graphs (AMD, CommonJS, ES6) and CSS
preprocessor imports (Sass, Stylus, Less) per the Madge README. NPM
deps and Node core modules are excluded by default.
When to use
- A bundle that compiles but throws
Cannot read property X of undefined at runtime - likely a circular import causing partial
module init.
- Pre-merge gate to block any new circular dep.
- Finding orphan files (no imports + no exports referenced) to delete.
Step 1 - Install
npm install -g madge
# or per-project
npm install -D madge
Optional Graphviz for visual graphs:
| OS | Install |
|---|
| macOS | brew install graphviz |
| Ubuntu | apt-get install graphviz |
| Windows | choco install graphviz |
Per the Madge README.
Step 2 - Detect circular dependencies
# Single entry point
madge --circular src/index.ts
# Whole directory
madge --circular src/
Exit code: 0 if none found, 1 if any circular path exists. Use
directly in CI.
Step 3 - Find orphans + leaves
# Files imported by nothing
madge --orphans src/
# Files that import nothing (terminal modules)
madge --leaves src/
Orphans are deletion candidates; verify usage outside source tree
(scripts, configs, side-effect imports) before removal.
Step 4 - Visualize
# Render full graph as SVG (requires Graphviz)
madge --image graph.svg src/
# Show what depends on a specific file
madge --depends src/config/db.ts src/
# Export raw DOT for custom rendering
madge --dot src/ > graph.gv
Step 5 - Configure for production-only scope
.madgerc in project root:
{
"fileExtensions": ["ts", "tsx", "js", "jsx"],
"excludeRegExp": [
"\\.test\\.(ts|tsx|js|jsx)$",
"\\.spec\\.(ts|tsx|js|jsx)$",
"__tests__/",
"__mocks__/",
"node_modules/",
"dist/",
"build/"
],
"tsConfig": "tsconfig.json"
}
Test files are excluded so tests can intentionally
import production modules without flagging the production tree.
Step 6 - CI gate
# GitHub Actions
- name: Block circular deps
run: npx madge --circular --extensions ts,tsx src/
- name: Detect new orphans (advisory)
run: npx madge --orphans --extensions ts,tsx src/ || true
The first step fails on any circular path; the second is informational
only (orphans require human judgment - could be webpack entry, dynamic
import, etc.).
Anti-patterns
| Anti-pattern | Why it fails | Fix |
|---|
Scan whole repo including node_modules/ | OOM on large workspaces | excludeRegExp: ["node_modules/"] (Step 5) - actually default behavior, but verify |
| Treat orphans as "always delete" | Webpack/Vite entry points + dynamic imports look orphaned | Manual review per orphan; use --depends to verify (Step 4) |
| Allow circular deps in non-prod with "we'll fix later" | Cycles compound; mid-project untangling is brutal | Block on first cycle (Step 6); waiver template if scope-exclusion needed |
Forget tsconfig.json for path aliases | Madge can't resolve @/foo imports; reports false positives | "tsConfig": "tsconfig.json" in .madgerc (Step 5) |
Run with default extensions (js only) for TS project | Misses 100% of TS files | fileExtensions: ["ts", "tsx", "js", "jsx"] (Step 5) |
Limitations
- Madge resolves static imports only; dynamic
import() calls and
require() with computed strings are not in the graph.
- ESM-only projects: ensure Madge version supports your Node ESM
resolver. Check the Madge README for current ESM compat notes.
References
- Madge README - CLI flags, .madgerc schema, extension support