# How to fix the 'Cannot use import statement outside a module' error in Node JS

I got this error twice while working on a project this week so I wanted to write a quick guide in case I forget how to fix it again.

The "SyntaxError: Cannot use import statement outside a module" error comes up when you try to use an import statement and you are **not** using an ES module. 

To resolve this error, you have to add this to your package.json file:


```

"type": "module"

``` 
Once you add this to your package.json file, this error should be resolved.

Thank you for reading this! I'm over at [@tbrmonster](https://twitter.com/tbrmonster) on Twitter if you'd like to talk about Node js or coding things.