Error TS2792: Cannot find module ‘…’. Did you mean to set the ‘moduleResolution’ option to ’nodenext’, or to add aliases to the ‘paths’ option?

This error can seem weird because the TypeScript compiler sometimes complains about missing modules that don’t seem directly related to your project. It can be a non-blocking error i.e. the transpilation or other processes are not affected. It occurs when the compiler is not able to locate the required module. At times stack traces have not been found to be helpful for me.

Nevertheless, there are a few options to resolve it. If you are not a project maintainer and you are seeing this error in a project/software that you are trying to run, then it is better to contact the project/software maintainer and ask them to resolve it. You could also try the below steps to fix the error yourself.

Solution 1: Configure Compiler Options in tsconfig.json

The moduleResolution property specifies how the compiler tries to find the module that has to be imported. The value of the moduleResolution property depends on the value of the module property which specifies the import/export code style of the project.

If moduleResolution is misconfigured, you may encounter this error.

Steps

  1. Open the tsconfig.json file located in the root directory of your project. For example:

    1{
2    "compilerOptions": {
3        ...
4        "module": "ESNext",
5        "moduleResolution": "node",
6        ...
7    },
8    ...
9}

    Ensure that the module property aligns with your project’s import/export style.

  2. Update the moduleResolution property:

    • Set it to node. For example:

      "moduleResolution": "node"

    • If it’s not explicitly set, it might default to classic, which could be causing the issue.

  3. Save the file and recompile your project:

    tsc

Solution 2: Add Aliases to the paths Option

If configuring the compiler options doesn’t work, as a work around you can try installing the missing module and then adding aliases to the paths option in the tsconfig.json file.

Steps

  1. Install the missing module:

    npm install <module-name>

  2. Add an alias in tsconfig.json under the paths option:

     1{
 2    "compilerOptions": {
 3        ...
 4        "module": "ESNext",
 5        "moduleResolution": "node",
 6        ...
 7        "paths": {
 8             // example: "undici-types": ["./node_modules/undici-types/index.d.ts"],
 9            "<module-name>": ["./node_modules/<module-name>/<entry-file>"],
10        }
11    },
12    ...
13}

  3. Save the file and recompile:

    tsc

Solution 3: Purge node_modules and package-lock.json

Sometimes, the error is caused by stale or corrupted dependencies.

Steps

  1. Delete the node_modules directory and package-lock.json file:

    • bash (Linux/macOS):
    rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json
    • cmd (Windows):
    rmdir /s /q node_modules && del package-lock.json

  2. Recompile your project:

    tsc

If the issue persists, ensure that none of the parent directories of the project have a node_modules directory because it could be causing conflicts. Then re-run the TypeScript compiler.

Solution 4: Solution 3 + Reinstall Dependencies

If you have tried Solution 3 and it did not work, you can then try reinstalling all dependencies.

Steps

  1. Install dependencies again (after deleting node_modules and package-lock.json):

    npm install

  2. Compile again:

    tsc

Solution 5: Downgrade the Module in which the Error Occurs

If the error is caused by a specific module, you can try downgrading it to a version that is compatible with your project.

Steps

  1. Identify the problematic module:

    Check the error message to locate the module causing the issue.

    • Example: node_modules/@types/node/globals.d.ts:473:25 - error TS2792: ...

      Here, the issue is in the @types/node module.

  2. Determine the compatible version:

    Refer to the module’s documentation, changelog, issue tracker, or try trial and error to find a version compatible with your project’s configuration.

  3. Modify your package.json file:

    Add the module and its specific version to either “dependencies” or “devDependencies”, depending on how it’s used:

    1{
2    ...
3    "dependencies": {
4        ...
5        "<module-name>": "<version>"
6    }
7}

    or

    1{
2    ...
3    "devDependencies": {
4        ...
5        "<module-name>": "<version>"
6    }
7}

  4. Install the downgraded module:

    npm install

  5. Recompile your project:

    tsc

Conclusion

I hope one of the above solutions helped you resolve the Cannot Find Module '...' error in TypeScript. If it did not, then quit TypeScript and go Rust!