Question

How to use await outside of async function prior to ES2022?

Answer 1

Prior to ES2022, if you attempted to use an await outside of an async function resulted in a SyntaxError.

await Promise.resolve(console.log("Hello await")); // SyntaxError: await is only valid in async function

But you can fix this issue with an alternative IIFE (Immediately Invoked Function Expression) to get access to the feature.

(async function () {
  await Promise.resolve(console.log("Hello await")); // Hello await
})();

In ES2022, you can write top-level await without writing any hacks.

await Promise.resolve(console.log("Hello await")); //Hello await