From d3d31d6c1259365a110efdb9294cf69cc197511a Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
From: CRT <hi@crt.fyi>
Date: Thu, 22 Oct 2026 23:18:30 +0800
Subject: [PATCH] Node: JSON configs are read as data, not imported (store-only
 apps failed under npx: needs an import attribute); test, pitfall 105

---
 CHANGELOG.md                   |  2 ++
 cli/lib/rt.ts                  |  3 +++
 skills/store-pitfalls/SKILL.md |  7 +++++++
 tests/config-json-node.test.ts | 12 ++++++++++++
 4 files changed, 24 insertions(+)
 create mode 100644 tests/config-json-node.test.ts

diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 844217e..630986b 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 ## Unreleased
 
+- Node: a `storebound.config.json` (and every store-only app) loads again; it needed an import attribute. Pitfall 105.
+
 - **`storebound watch`**: store events for every app on the machine (rejected, approved, live, rollout halted, crash
   threshold, low or unanswered reviews), sent to ntfy (phone), Telegram, a webhook or an OS notification; runs as a loop
   (`--every 15m`) or `--once`; a PM2 recipe for a server is in docs/watch.md. `storebound events` and the MCP tool
diff --git a/cli/lib/rt.ts b/cli/lib/rt.ts
index 9b43cc7..d323d45 100644
--- a/cli/lib/rt.ts
+++ b/cli/lib/rt.ts
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ export const importPath = (path: string): Promise<any> => import(pathToFileURL(p
  */
 // eslint-disable-next-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
 export async function importConfigModule(path: string): Promise<any> {
+  // a JSON config is read, not imported: Node refuses a JSON import without `with { type: 'json' }` (every store-only
+  // app of `storebound watch` on a server failed; pitfall 105)
+  if (/\.json$/i.test(path)) return { default: JSON.parse(readFileSync(path, 'utf8')) };
   if (isBun || !/\.[cm]?ts$/.test(path)) return importPath(path);
   try {
     return await withoutTypeStripWarning(() => importPath(path));
diff --git a/skills/store-pitfalls/SKILL.md b/skills/store-pitfalls/SKILL.md
index c44253a..a88eb70 100644
--- a/skills/store-pitfalls/SKILL.md
+++ b/skills/store-pitfalls/SKILL.md
@@ -1265,3 +1265,10 @@ that fails without the fix (see CONTRIBUTING.md).
 - **Guard:** `iapLocalizationChanges` / `iapAttributeChanges` / `availabilityChange` (`cli/apple/iap.ts`), the
   subscription helpers in `cli/lib/subscriptions.ts`, `planAppInfo` / `reviewDetailDiff`, `campaignDiff`,
   `winBackDiff`, `eventAttrDiff`; tests `apple-iap-drift`, `subscriptions-drift`, `appinfo-drift`, `misc-drift`.
+
+## 105. `storebound watch` on a server read no app: "needs an import attribute of type: json"
+- **Symptom:** on Node (npx, a server), every store-only app failed with `Module ".../storebound.config.json" needs an
+  import attribute of "type: json"`; on Bun it worked.
+- **Cause:** a JSON config (store-only apps get one generated) was loaded with a bare dynamic import, which Node refuses.
+- **Do:** update storebound.
+- **Guard:** `importConfigModule` in `cli/lib/rt.ts` reads JSON configs as data (`tests/config-json-node.test.ts`).
diff --git a/tests/config-json-node.test.ts b/tests/config-json-node.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2cd820
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/config-json-node.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+// A storebound.config.json loads without an import attribute (Node refuses a bare JSON import; pitfall 105).
+import { expect, test } from 'bun:test';
+import { mkdtempSync, writeFileSync } from 'node:fs';
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os';
+import { join } from 'node:path';
+import { importConfigModule } from '../cli/lib/rt';
+
+test('importConfigModule reads a JSON config as data', async () => {
+  const f = join(mkdtempSync(join(tmpdir(), 'sb-json-')), 'storebound.config.json');
+  writeFileSync(f, JSON.stringify({ app: { name: 'Demo' }, play: { packageName: 'com.example.demo' } }));
+  expect((await importConfigModule(f)).default.play.packageName).toBe('com.example.demo');
+});