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How to Fix the \"Cannot Use Import Statement Outside a Module\" Error

How to Fix the “Cannot Use Import Statement Outside a Module” Error

If you’ve encountered the error “Uncaught SyntaxError: cannot use import statement outside a module” while trying to import a function from a JavaScript file, don’t worry. This error occurs because you are attempting to use the import statement but are not inside an ES module.

This error can occur both in a Node.js environment and in the browser. Thankfully, there are simple solutions for both scenarios.

Fixing the Error in Node.js

To resolve this issue in Node.js, you need to add a package.json file in the project folder and specify the type of your project as a module. Follow these steps:

  1. Create a package.json file in the root folder of your project.
  2. Add the following content to the package.json file:
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{
  "type": "module"
}
  1. Save the package.json file.

By configuring your project as a module, Node.js will recognize the import statement and allow you to use it without any issues.

Fixing the Error in the Browser

If you encounter the “Cannot Use Import Statement Outside a Module” error in the browser, you can fix it by adding the type attribute with the value module when loading the script. Follow these steps:

  1. Update your HTML file where you import the JavaScript file.
  2. Change the script tag from:
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<script src="./file.js"></script>

to:

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<script type="module" src="./file.js"></script>

By specifying the type attribute as module, the browser will recognize the script as an ES module and allow the use of the import statement.

With these fixes, you should be able to resolve the “Cannot Use Import Statement Outside a Module” error and continue using the import statement without any issues.

Tags: JavaScript, ES module, import statement, Node.js, browser