Coding⏱️ 2 min read📅 2026-06-03

How to Fix: Error: 'types' can only be used in a .ts file - Visual Studio Code using @ts-check

Error in TypeScript configuration file. The @ts-check directive is used to enable type checking for a specific file, but it should be placed at the top of a .ts file, not a .js file.

Quick Answer: Move the @ts-check directive to the top of your .ts file and remove the plugin installation, as TSLint is not compatible with @ts-check. Instead, use the built-in TypeScript linting features or install a different linting tool.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. 🛑 Root Causes of the Error
  2. 🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes
  3. 🎯 Final Words

Error: 'types' can only be used in a .ts file - Visual Studio Code using @ts-check

The error message indicates that the '@ts-check' directive is being used in a non-.ts file, which is not allowed.

🛑 Root Causes of the Error

  • The issue arises from attempting to enable TypeScript checking on a JavaScript file without specifying a .ts extension.
  • This can be resolved by renaming the file to have a .ts extension or using the 'files.withTsConfig' setting in your VS Code settings to opt-in to TypeScript checking for all files.

🛠️ Step-by-Step Verified Fixes

Renaming the file to include a .ts extension

  1. Step 1: Rename the file from .js to .ts to indicate that it should be treated as a TypeScript file.
  2. Step 2: Update any references to 'module.exports' to 'export function name'.

Enabling files.withTsConfig setting

  1. Step 1: Open the Command Palette in VS Code and type 'Settings: Open Settings (JSON)' to edit the settings.
  2. Step 2: Add the following line to the JSON file under the "editor" section: "files.withTsConfig": true,"

🎯 Final Words

By making these changes, you can enable TypeScript checking on your JavaScript file and take advantage of linting features like TSLint.

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