How to fix "cannot use import statement outside a module"
Here is how to fix the error Uncaught SyntaxError: cannot use import statement outside a module in JavaScript.
I stumbled on this error: Uncaught SyntaxError: cannot use import statement outside a module while importing a function from a JavaScript file.
This error occurs for one reason: you’re trying to use import
and you’re not inside an ES module.
It can happen in a Node.js environment, or in the browser.
First, here’s the solution for Node.js: I had to add a package.json
file in the folder of the project and add:
{
"type": "module"
}
In the browser instead, you have to add the type
attribute with the value module
when you load the script, like this:
<script type="module" src="./file.js"></script>
instead of
<script src="./file.js"></script>
→ I wrote 17 books to help you become a better developer:
- C Handbook
- Command Line Handbook
- CSS Handbook
- Express Handbook
- Git Cheat Sheet
- Go Handbook
- HTML Handbook
- JS Handbook
- Laravel Handbook
- Next.js Handbook
- Node.js Handbook
- PHP Handbook
- Python Handbook
- React Handbook
- SQL Handbook
- Svelte Handbook
- Swift Handbook
Also, JOIN MY CODING BOOTCAMP, an amazing cohort course that will be a huge step up in your coding career - covering React, Next.js - next edition February 2025