TS2304: Cannot find name 'X'

What’s happening?

This error occurs when TypeScript cannot find a variable, function, or type in the current scope.

---

Reproduction

console.log(myVariable);
// ❌ Cannot find name 'myVariable'

---

Solutions

Option 1: Declare the variable

const myVariable = "Hello";
console.log(myVariable); // ✅

Option 2: Import from another module

import { myVariable } from './config';
console.log(myVariable); // ✅

Option 3: Add type declarations for global variables

globals.d.ts

declare const myGlobal: string;

// Now usable everywhere
console.log(myGlobal); // ✅

---

Common scenarios

Missing imports

const result = axios.get('/api');
// ❌ Cannot find name 'axios'

// ✅ Fix:
import axios from 'axios';

Using browser APIs without lib

// tsconfig.json missing "dom" in lib
const element = document.querySelector('div');
// ❌ Cannot find name 'document'

// ✅ Fix tsconfig.json:
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "lib": ["ES2022", "DOM"]
  }
}

---

Key takeaways

• Always import before using
• Check tsconfig.json for missing lib entries
• Use .d.ts files for global declarations

---

Additional resources

• Module Resolution