# Headroom.js License: MIT License Terms and Usage Guidelines

> Explore the MIT License for headroom.js. Understand its permissive terms for commercial use, modification, and distribution, with minimal restrictions.

- Repository: [Tejas Chopra/headroom](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom)
- Tags: license
- Published: 2026-06-17

---

**The headroom.js JavaScript SDK is released under the MIT License, a permissive open-source license that permits commercial use, modification, and distribution requiring only the preservation of copyright notices and license terms.**

The headroom.js library, developed in the `chopratejas/headroom` repository, provides token compression capabilities for AI applications. Understanding the headroom.js license terms is essential for developers integrating this SDK into commercial or open-source projects, as the MIT License imposes minimal restrictions while ensuring proper attribution.

## MIT License Terms for Headroom.js

The `chopratejas/headroom` repository, including the JavaScript SDK ([`headroom.js`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/headroom.js)), is distributed under the MIT License. This permissive license allows you to use, copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and sell copies of the software.

The MIT License permits inclusion in proprietary projects, making the headroom.js SDK suitable for both open-source and commercial AI applications.

### License File Location

The full license text resides in the repository's root [`LICENSE`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/LICENSE) file. Additionally, the [[`sdk/typescript/package.json`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/package.json)](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/package.json) explicitly declares the MIT license in the package manifest, confirming that the npm package `headroom-ai` inherits these terms.

## Installing the MIT-Licensed SDK

To incorporate the headroom.js library into your project:

```bash
npm install headroom-ai

```

## Practical Usage Examples

The following examples demonstrate how to use the MIT-licensed headroom.js SDK in various integration scenarios.

### Basic Prompt Compression

The [`compress`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/compress.ts) function in [`sdk/typescript/src/compress.ts`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/compress.ts) implements the core token-budget compression logic:

```javascript
import { compress } from 'headroom-ai';

const prompt = `
  You are a friendly AI assistant...
  ... (many tokens)
`;

const { compressed, remaining } = await compress(prompt, {
  targetTokens: 2000,
});

console.log('Compressed prompt:', compressed);
console.log('Tokens saved:', remaining);

```

### Vercel AI Middleware Integration

The SDK provides middleware through [[`sdk/typescript/src/vercel-ai/index.ts`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/vercel-ai/index.ts)](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/vercel-ai/index.ts):

```javascript
import { headroomMiddleware } from 'headroom-ai/vercel-ai';

export default async function handler(req) {
  await headroomMiddleware(req);
  // req.body.messages are automatically compressed
}

```

### OpenAI Client Wrapper

The [`HeadroomClient`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/openai.ts) class in [`sdk/typescript/src/openai.ts`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/openai.ts) provides optimized OpenAI integration:

```javascript
import { HeadroomClient, OpenAIProvider } from 'headroom-ai';

const client = new HeadroomClient({
  provider: new OpenAIProvider({ apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY }),
  mode: 'optimize',
});

const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: 'gpt-4o-mini',
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: hugeUserMessage }],
});

```

## Key Source Files and Licensing

All files in the `chopratejas/headroom` repository fall under the MIT License, including:

- **License**: [`LICENSE`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/LICENSE) - Contains the full MIT License text
- **Package Manifest**: [[`sdk/typescript/package.json`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/package.json)](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/package.json) - Declares `headroom-ai` package metadata and license
- **Core Implementation**: [[`sdk/typescript/src/compress.ts`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/compress.ts)](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/compress.ts) - Compression algorithms
- **OpenAI Integration**: [[`sdk/typescript/src/openai.ts`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/openai.ts)](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/openai.ts) - Client wrapper implementation
- **Vercel AI Support**: [[`sdk/typescript/src/vercel-ai/index.ts`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/vercel-ai/index.ts)](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/src/vercel-ai/index.ts) - Middleware implementation
- **Plugin Hooks**: [[`plugins/openclaw/hook-shim/handler.js`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/plugins/openclaw/hook-shim/handler.js)](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/plugins/openclaw/hook-shim/handler.js) - JavaScript module example

## Summary

- The headroom.js license is **MIT**, a permissive open-source license
- You can use the SDK in **commercial and proprietary projects** without restriction
- The only requirement is to **preserve copyright notices and license text** in distributions
- All source files in the `chopratejas/headroom` repository, including TypeScript SDK and JavaScript plugins, are covered under this license
- The npm package `headroom-ai` explicitly declares MIT licensing in its [[`package.json`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/package.json)](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/package.json)

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Is headroom.js free for commercial use?

Yes. The MIT License permits commercial use, allowing you to integrate the headroom.js SDK into proprietary applications, SaaS products, and commercial services without paying royalties or licensing fees. You must include the original copyright notice and license text in your software distribution.

### What are the MIT License requirements for headroom.js?

The primary requirement is attribution. When distributing the headroom.js software or substantial portions of it, you must include the copyright notice and permission notice found in the [`LICENSE`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/LICENSE) file. This applies to both modified and unmodified versions of the code.

### Where can I find the full license text for headroom.js?

The complete license text is available in the repository's [`LICENSE`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/LICENSE) file at the root of the `chopratejas/headroom` repository. The [[`sdk/typescript/package.json`](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/package.json)](https://github.com/chopratejas/headroom/blob/main/sdk/typescript/package.json) file also references "MIT" as the declared license type for the npm package.

### Can I modify the headroom.js source code?

Yes. The MIT License explicitly grants permission to modify, merge, and create derivative works from the headroom.js source code. Modified versions can be distributed under different terms, provided you include the original MIT License notice and copyright statement.