SyntaxError: Unexpected token ’{’ Error

Error Message

When running the claude command, the following error appears:

SyntaxError: Unexpected token '{'
    at Loader.moduleStrategy (node:internal/modules/esm/translators:147:18)
    at async link (node:internal/modules/esm/module_job:48:21)

Or a similar syntax error:

SyntaxError: Unexpected token '...'
SyntaxError: Unexpected identifier

Root Cause

This error indicates your Node.js version is too old.

Claude Code uses modern JavaScript syntax features (such as object destructuring, optional chaining, and nullish coalescing operators) that require Node.js 18.x or higher.

If your system has an older version of Node.js installed (e.g., v14 or v16), syntax errors will occur when parsing the code.

Solution

Step 1: Check Your Current Node.js Version

Open PowerShell or a terminal and run:

node --version

If the version shown is less than v18 (for example v14.17.0 or v16.13.0), you need to upgrade.

Step 2: Upgrade Node.js

Windows

Option 1: Use winget (recommended)

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS

Option 2: Manual download and install

Visit the Node.js official website
Download the LTS (Long-Term Support) version
Run the installer and follow the wizard to complete installation

Option 3: Use Chocolatey

choco upgrade nodejs

macOS

Using Homebrew:

brew upgrade node

Or download manually:

Visit the Node.js official website and download the latest LTS version.

Linux

Using nvm (recommended):

nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts

Using a package manager:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt update
sudo apt install nodejs npm
 
# CentOS/RHEL
sudo dnf install nodejs npm

Step 3: Verify the Upgrade

After upgrading, open a new terminal window and verify the version:

node --version

Ensure the version shown is v18.x.x or higher.

Step 4: Reinstall Claude Code

If the previous installation failed, it is recommended to reinstall:

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Then run claude to verify it works correctly.

Note: After upgrading Node.js, globally installed npm packages may need to be reinstalled. If you encounter issues, try uninstalling and reinstalling Claude Code:

npm uninstall -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

Prevention

To avoid similar issues in the future:

Use a Node.js LTS version: LTS (Long-Term Support) versions are more stable and have better compatibility
Keep Node.js updated: Stay on the latest LTS version
Use a version manager: Tools like nvm (Node Version Manager) make it easy to switch between and manage multiple Node.js versions

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