Enforces consistent returning of awaited values (return-await)

Returning an awaited promise can make sense for better stack trace information as well as for consistent error handling (returned promises will not be caught in an async function try/catch).

Rule Details

This rule builds on top of the eslint/no-return-await rule. It expands upon the base rule to add support for optionally requiring return await in certain cases.

How to use

{
  // note you must disable the base rule as it can report incorrect errors
  "no-return-await": "off",
  "@typescript-eslint/return-await": "error"
}

Options

type Options = 'in-try-catch' | 'always' | 'never';

const defaultOptions: Options = 'in-try-catch';

in-try-catch

Requires that a returned promise must be awaited in try-catch-finally blocks, and disallows it elsewhere. Specifically:

  • if you return a promise within a try, then it must be awaited.
  • if you return a promise within a catch, and there is no finally, then it must not be awaited.
  • if you return a promise within a catch, and there is a finally, then it must be awaited.
  • if you return a promise within a finally, then it must not be awaited.

Examples of incorrect code with in-try-catch:

async function invalidInTryCatch1() {
  try {
    return Promise.resolve('try');
  } catch (e) {}
}

async function invalidInTryCatch2() {
  try {
    throw new Error('error');
  } catch (e) {
    return await Promise.resolve('catch');
  }
}

async function invalidInTryCatch3() {
  try {
    throw new Error('error');
  } catch (e) {
    return Promise.resolve('catch');
  } finally {
    console.log('cleanup');
  }
}

async function invalidInTryCatch4() {
  try {
    throw new Error('error');
  } catch (e) {
    throw new Error('error2');
  } finally {
    return await Promise.resolve('finally');
  }
}

async function invalidInTryCatch5() {
  return await Promise.resolve('try');
}

async function invalidInTryCatch6() {
  return await 'value';
}

Examples of correct code with in-try-catch:

async function validInTryCatch1() {
  try {
    return await Promise.resolve('try');
  } catch (e) {}
}

async function validInTryCatch2() {
  try {
    throw new Error('error');
  } catch (e) {
    return Promise.resolve('catch');
  }
}

async function validInTryCatch3() {
  try {
    throw new Error('error');
  } catch (e) {
    return await Promise.resolve('catch');
  } finally {
    console.log('cleanup');
  }
}

async function validInTryCatch4() {
  try {
    throw new Error('error');
  } catch (e) {
    throw new Error('error2');
  } finally {
    return Promise.resolve('finally');
  }
}

async function validInTryCatch5() {
  return Promise.resolve('try');
}

async function validInTryCatch6() {
  return 'value';
}

always

Requires that all returned promises are awaited.

Examples of incorrect code with always:

async function invalidAlways1() {
  try {
    return Promise.resolve('try');
  } catch (e) {}
}

async function invalidAlways2() {
  return Promise.resolve('try');
}

async function invalidAlways3() {
  return await 'value';
}

Examples of correct code with always:

async function validAlways1() {
  try {
    return await Promise.resolve('try');
  } catch (e) {}
}

async function validAlways2() {
  return await Promise.resolve('try');
}

async function validAlways3() {
  return 'value';
}

never

Disallows all awaiting any returned promises.

Examples of incorrect code with never:

async function invalidNever1() {
  try {
    return await Promise.resolve('try');
  } catch (e) {}
}

async function invalidNever2() {
  return await Promise.resolve('try');
}

async function invalidNever3() {
  return await 'value';
}

Examples of correct code with never:

async function validNever1() {
  try {
    return Promise.resolve('try');
  } catch (e) {}
}

async function validNever2() {
  return Promise.resolve('try');
}

async function validNever3() {
  return 'value';
}