---
title: TOML
description: Use Bun's built-in support for TOML files through both runtime APIs and bundler integration
---

In Bun, TOML is a first-class citizen alongside JSON, JSON5, and YAML. You can:

- Parse TOML strings with `Bun.TOML.parse`
- `import` & `require` TOML files as modules at runtime (including hot reloading & watch mode support)
- `import` & `require` TOML files in frontend apps with Bun's bundler

---

## Runtime API

### `Bun.TOML.parse()`

Parse a TOML string into a JavaScript object.

```ts
import { TOML } from "bun";
const text = `
name = "my-app"
version = "1.0.0"
debug = true

[database]
host = "localhost"
port = 5432

[features]
tags = ["web", "api"]
`;

const data = TOML.parse(text);
console.log(data);
// {
//   name: "my-app",
//   version: "1.0.0",
//   debug: true,
//   database: { host: "localhost", port: 5432 },
//   features: { tags: ["web", "api"] }
// }
```

#### Supported TOML Features

Bun's TOML parser implements the full [TOML v1.1.0 specification](https://github.com/toml-lang/toml/releases/tag/1.1.0) and passes the complete official [toml-test](https://github.com/toml-lang/toml-test) conformance suite.

- **Strings**: basic (`"..."`) and literal (`'...'`), including multi-line, with all escapes (`\uHHHH`, `\UHHHHHHHH`, and TOML 1.1's `\xHH` and `\e`)
- **Integers**: decimal, hex (`0x`), octal (`0o`), and binary (`0b`). Integers outside ±(2^53 - 1) throw, because a JavaScript number cannot represent them losslessly
- **Floats**: including `inf` and `nan`
- **Booleans**: `true` and `false`
- **Date/times**: returned as [Temporal](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Temporal) objects — offset date-time as `Temporal.Instant`, local date-time as `Temporal.PlainDateTime`, local date as `Temporal.PlainDate`, and local time as `Temporal.PlainTime`
- **Arrays**: including mixed types and nested arrays
- **Tables**: standard (`[table]`) and inline (`{ key = "value" }`), including TOML 1.1 multi-line inline tables
- **Array of tables**: `[[array]]`
- **Dotted keys**: `a.b.c = "value"`
- **Comments**: using `#`

```ts
const data = Bun.TOML.parse(`
# Application config
title = "My App"

[owner]
name = "John Doe"

[database]
enabled = true
ports = [8000, 8001, 8002]
connection_max = 5000

[servers.alpha]
ip = "10.0.0.1"
role = "frontend"

[servers.beta]
ip = "10.0.0.2"
role = "backend"
`);
```

#### Date/times

Each of TOML's four date/time types maps 1:1 onto a Temporal type. Temporal carries nanosecond precision; as the TOML spec permits, fractional seconds beyond nine digits are truncated:

```ts
const doc = Bun.TOML.parse(`
created = 1979-05-27T00:32:00-07:00  # offset date-time
meeting = 1979-05-27T07:32:00       # local date-time
birthday = 1979-05-27               # local date
opens = 07:32:00                    # local time
`);

doc.created; // Temporal.Instant (an offset date-time specifies an instant;
//              the written offset normalizes away: 1979-05-27T07:32:00Z)
doc.meeting; // Temporal.PlainDateTime
doc.birthday; // Temporal.PlainDate
doc.opens; // Temporal.PlainTime
```

#### Error Handling

`Bun.TOML.parse()` throws a `SyntaxError` if the TOML is invalid:

```ts
try {
  Bun.TOML.parse("invalid = = =");
} catch (error) {
  console.error("Failed to parse TOML:", error.message);
  // Failed to parse TOML: TOML Parse error: Expected a value but found '='
}
```

### `Bun.TOML.stringify()`

Serialize a JavaScript object to a TOML document. Scalar keys come first,
followed by `[table]` and `[[array-of-tables]]` sections:

```ts
Bun.TOML.stringify({
  name: "app",
  server: { host: "localhost", port: 8080 },
  points: [{ x: 1 }, { x: 2 }],
});
// name = "app"
//
// [server]
// host = "localhost"
// port = 8080
//
// [[points]]
// x = 1
//
// [[points]]
// x = 2
```

The top-level value must be an object — a TOML document is a table.
`Temporal.Instant`, `Temporal.PlainDateTime`, `Temporal.PlainDate`, and
`Temporal.PlainTime` values become the corresponding TOML date/time
literals, so `stringify(parse(doc))` round-trips date/time types.
`Temporal.ZonedDateTime` becomes an offset date-time and `Date` becomes
an offset date-time in UTC. TOML has no syntax for time-zone or calendar
annotations, so those are dropped (the ISO fields are written), and its
years are four digits, so date values outside 0000–9999 and invalid
`Date`s throw. Because TOML cannot represent them, `null` values,
`BigInt`, circular structures, `Temporal.PlainYearMonth`,
`Temporal.PlainMonthDay`, and `Temporal.Duration` also throw; `undefined`,
function, and symbol properties are skipped (inside arrays they throw,
since TOML arrays cannot have holes), and passing one of those as the
top-level value returns `undefined`, as `JSON.stringify` does.

---

## Module Import

### ES Modules

Import TOML files directly as ES modules. Bun parses the TOML and exposes it as both default and named exports:

```toml config.toml
[database]
host = "localhost"
port = 5432
name = "myapp"

[redis]
host = "localhost"
port = 6379

[features]
auth = true
rateLimit = true
analytics = false
```

#### Default Import

```ts app.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import config from "./config.toml";

console.log(config.database.host); // "localhost"
console.log(config.redis.port); // 6379
```

#### Named Imports

You can destructure top-level TOML tables as named imports:

```ts app.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import { database, redis, features } from "./config.toml";

console.log(database.host); // "localhost"
console.log(redis.port); // 6379
console.log(features.auth); // true
```

Or combine both:

```ts app.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import config, { database, features } from "./config.toml";

// Use the full config object
console.log(config);

// Or use specific parts
if (features.rateLimit) {
  setupRateLimiting(database);
}
```

#### Import Attributes

Use an import attribute to load any file as TOML:

```ts app.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import myConfig from "./my.config" with { type: "toml" };
```

### CommonJS

You can also `require` TOML files in CommonJS:

```ts app.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
const config = require("./config.toml");
console.log(config.database.name); // "myapp"

// Destructuring also works
const { database, redis } = require("./config.toml");
console.log(database.port); // 5432
```

---

## Hot Reloading with TOML

When you run your application with `bun --hot`, Bun detects changes to TOML files and reloads them without restarting:

```toml config.toml
[server]
port = 3000
host = "localhost"

[features]
debug = true
verbose = false
```

```ts server.ts icon="/icons/typescript.svg"
import { server, features } from "./config.toml";

console.log(`Starting server on ${server.host}:${server.port}`);

Bun.serve({
  port: server.port,
  hostname: server.host,
  fetch(req) {
    if (features.verbose) {
      console.log(`${req.method} ${req.url}`);
    }
    return new Response("Hello World");
  },
});
```

Run with hot reloading:

```bash terminal icon="terminal"
bun --hot server.ts
```

---

## Bundler Integration

When you bundle with Bun, the bundler parses imported TOML at build time and includes it as a JavaScript module:

```bash terminal icon="terminal"
bun build app.ts --outdir=dist
```

This means:

- Zero runtime TOML parsing overhead in production
- Smaller bundle sizes
- Tree shaking of unused properties (named imports)

### Dynamic Imports

You can also dynamically import TOML files:

```ts
const config = await import("./config.toml");
```
