TS2688: Cannot find type definition file for - in CI

By Daniel Zoghalchali·Latchkey

A name listed in compilerOptions.types (or referenced via /// reference types) has no installed @types package.

What this error means

Type-checking fails with TS2688 naming the type package it cannot find under typeRoots.

error TS2688: Cannot find type definition file for 'jest'.

Common causes

How to fix it

Install the referenced types

1. Install the @types package named in the types array

npm i -D @types/jest

Remove the stale types entry

1. Delete unused names from compilerOptions.types
2. Verify typeRoots includes node_modules/@types

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "types": ["node"]
  }
}

How to prevent it

• Keep compilerOptions.types in sync with installed @types packages and prune entries you remove.

Frequently asked questions

Related guides

References

• Node.js documentation
• npm CLI documentation
• GitHub Actions documentation