prettier/prettier · error · UnexpectedNodeError

Unexpected Graphql node kind: ${node.kind}.

Error message

Unexpected Graphql node kind: ${node.kind}.

What it means

Thrown by the GraphQL printer's default case as `new UnexpectedNodeError(node, 'Graphql', 'kind')`, yielding `Unexpected Graphql node kind: <kind>.`. GraphQL ASTs use a `kind` field (not `type`), hence the third argument. The `c8 ignore` marks it as unreachable, so encountering it means the parser produced a node kind the printer does not handle.

Source

Thrown at src/language-graphql/printer-graphql.js:438

    case "ScalarTypeExtension":
    case "ScalarTypeDefinition":
      return [
        printDescription(path, options, print),
        node.kind === "ScalarTypeExtension" ? "extend " : "",
        "scalar ",
        print("name"),
        printDirectives(path, print),
      ];

    case "NonNullType":
      return [print("type"), "!"];

    case "ListType":
      return ["[", print("type"), "]"];

    default:
      /* c8 ignore next */
      throw new UnexpectedNodeError(node, "Graphql", "kind");
  }
}

function canAttachComment(node /* , ancestors */) {
  return node.kind !== "Comment";
}

function printComment({ node: comment }) {
  if (comment.kind === "Comment") {
    return "#" + comment.value.trimEnd();
  }

  /* c8 ignore next */
  throw new Error("Not a comment: " + JSON.stringify(comment));
}

function hasPrettierIgnore(path) {
  const { node } = path;

View on GitHub (pinned to 315f281982)

Solutions

1. Upgrade Prettier (and the bundled `graphql` dependency) to the latest stable release.
2. Pin a compatible `graphql` version across the workspace.
3. Reduce the failing GraphQL snippet and report it upstream with a minimal repro.
4. Temporarily skip the file with `.prettierignore` or `# prettier-ignore`.

Example fix

# before - newer directive syntax the printer doesn't know
query @experimental { foo }
# after - ignore directive until upgrade
# prettier-ignore
query @experimental { foo }

import { parse } from 'graphql';
try { parse(graphqlText); } catch (e) { /* skip formatting */ }

try {
  await prettier.format(sdl, { parser: 'graphql' });
} catch (err) {
  if (/Unexpected Graphql node kind/.test(err.message)) {
    console.warn('Unsupported GraphQL node; consider upgrading prettier.', err.message);
  } else throw err;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Formatting a `.graphql` file whose AST contains a `kind` absent from the printer's switch (e.g. a newly introduced GraphQL syntax node, a custom AST from a third-party parser, or version skew between `graphql` package and Prettier's printer).

Common situations: GraphQL schema/query using newer spec features not yet supported; mismatched `graphql` and Prettier versions in a monorepo; editor integration using a different GraphQL parser; corrupted or hand-crafted AST input via the API.

Related errors

• Unexpected PostCSS node type: ${node.type}.
• Unexpected Handlebars node type: ${node.type}.
• Unexpected HTML node type: ${node.type}.
• Unexpected Angular node type: ${node.type}.
• Unexpected ESTree node type: ${node.type}.

AI-assisted analysis of prettier/prettier@315f281982 (2026-08-03). Data as JSON: /data/errors/02bcb6d12e43ca69.json. Report an issue: GitHub.