Jest encountered an unexpected token

Fri, 08 May 2026 12:33:15 +0000

encounter an error message "Jest encountered an unexpected token". This error occurs due to incorrect syntax or unexpected characters in your code. To prevent this issue, it is important to properly match all braces, brackets, and parentheses, verify the spelling of your variables and functions, terminate strings and comments correctly, and use semicolons appropriately. Additionally, using a JavaScript linter and regularly running Jest tests can also help avoid this error.

What is Jest encountered an unexpected token #

"Jest encountered an unexpected token" is an error message that appears when Jest encounters a syntax error in your code while running tests. This error typically means that Jest has encountered a character in your code that it doesn't expect, and is unable to parse the code as a result.
The most common causes of this error are missing or mismatched parentheses, brackets, or braces, misspelled variables or functions, unterminated strings or comments, and incorrect use of semicolons. To resolve the issue, you'll need to find the line of code that's causing the problem and fix the syntax error.

TipRegularly run Jest tests to catch any issues early.

Why did it happen#

It's important to note that Jest is a JavaScript testing framework, so this error will only occur when you are running tests written in JavaScript. The "Jest encountered an unexpected token" error message usually indicates that there is a syntax error in your code. To fix this error, you'll need to locate the problematic code and correct the syntax.

Here are some common causes of this error:

Missing or mismatched braces, brackets, or parentheses
Misspelled or undefined variables or functions
Unterminated strings or comments
Incorrect use of semicolons

To resolve the error, you can use the error message to identify the line number and specific problem, and then make the necessary changes to your code. If you are still unable to resolve the issue, you can also try using a JavaScript linter, such as ESLint, to automatically detect syntax errors.

The Solution #

In general, the solution to the "Jest encountered an unexpected token" error has been explained above. But if you are still encountering issues, here are some common cases and their solutions.

Solution one (sets up Jest to use Babel as a transformer)

To resolve the "Jest encountered an unexpected token" error that may be caused by incorrect configuration, you can add the following code to the jest configuration in your package.json file. This code sets up Jest to use Babel as a transformer for your .js files, which can help resolve the error. The code should be added to the transform field in your jest configuration, as follows:



    "transform": {
    "\\.js$": "/node_modules/babel-jest"
  },

By adding this code, you ensure that Jest is properly configured to handle .js files, which can help resolve the "Jest encountered an unexpected token" error.

CautionVerify the spelling of your variables, functions, and modules. Make sure that you have not used any undefined variables or functions.

Solution two (array of regular expressions)

To resolve the "Jest encountered an unexpected token" error that may occur despite the previous steps, you need to check your Jest configuration file. Open the file named jest.config.js in your project, and add the following configuration block to it. The added block specifies the transformIgnorePatterns configuration, which is an array of regular expressions that Jest will use to skip transformation of specific files or directories. The code block you need to add is as follows:




//jest.config.js
module.exports = {
    preset: 'ts-jest',
    testEnvironment: 'jsdom',
    testMatch: ["**/__tests__/**/*.ts?(x)", "**/?(*.)+(test).ts?(x)"],
    transform: {
        "^.+\\.(js|ts)$": "ts-jest",
    },
    transformIgnorePatterns: [
        "/node_modules/(?![@autofiy/autofiyable|@autofiy/property]).+\\.js$",
        "/node_modules/(?![@autofiy/autofiyable|@autofiy/property]).+\\.ts$",
        "/node_modules/(?![@autofiy/autofiyable|@autofiy/property]).+\\.tsx$",
    ],
}

This should resolve the "Jest encountered an unexpected token" error that may arise in your project.

NoteTo resolve this error, you'll need to locate the problematic code and correct the syntax error. You can also use a JavaScript linter, such as ESLint, to help identify syntax errors.

The Conclusion

In conclusion, "Jest encountered an unexpected token" is an error message that occurs when Jest encounters a syntax error while running tests in JavaScript. The most common causes of this error are missing or mismatched braces, brackets, or parentheses, misspelled variables or functions, unterminated strings or comments, and incorrect use of semicolons. To resolve this error, you need to locate the problematic code and fix the syntax error. If the error still persists, you can also try adding the jest.config.js file and then Add the transformIgnorePatterns configuration in your jest.config.js file.

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