URL-Based vs. Relative Import Resolution in Deno

Direct answer

Deno does not prioritize URL imports over relative imports. There is no precedence rule that lets a URL shadow or override a matching relative path. Each import specifier is resolved independently based on its own form:

• ./ or ../ specifiers are relative paths resolved against the directory of the importing module.
• https://, http://, or file:// specifiers are resolved as URLs.
• Bare specifiers such as lodash fail unless an import map remaps them.

Confirmed behavior

Deno keys its module cache by the fully resolved URL. Consequently, ./mod.ts and file:///absolute/path/to/mod.ts can point to the same file on disk yet be treated as separate modules, creating duplicate module instances when both are imported.

This URL-based core is stable across Deno 1.x and 2.x for standard HTTP/HTTPS and relative specifiers. Deno 2 changed npm: specifier handling and some type-only import behavior, but not the relative-versus-URL decision.

Likely explanation for mixed imports

When a project mixes remote and local dependencies, Deno resolves each import line in isolation. A relative path is never matched against an existing URL import to decide where to load from. If the relative path does not resolve to a file relative to the importer, resolution fails even if a same-named URL import exists elsewhere in the graph.

Verification steps

1. Run deno --version. This guidance assumes standard HTTP/HTTPS and relative specifiers; if you use npm: specifiers, share the version because Deno 2 handles them differently.
2. Create main.ts importing both forms:

import { localValue } from "./local.ts";
import { remoteValue } from "https://example.com/remote.ts";

console.log(localValue, remoteValue);

1. Inspect the resolved graph:

deno info main.ts

Confirm that the relative import appears under its local path and the remote URL appears as a separate entry. If both refer to equivalent logic, check whether they are listed once or twice to detect duplicate caching.

Recommended practice

• Use one canonical specifier form per module to avoid duplicate module instances.
• Use relative paths for local files and full URLs only for remote dependencies.
• Use an import map only to remap bare specifiers; it does not change relative-path resolution.