The JavaScript exception "invalid 'instanceof' operand" occurs when the right-hand side operands of the instanceof
operator isn't used with a constructor object, i.e. an object which has a prototype
property and is callable.
On this page
TypeError: invalid 'instanceof' operand 'x'
Message
TypeError: Right-hand side of 'instanceof' is not an object (V8-based)
TypeError: Right-hand side of 'instanceof' is not callable (V8-based)
TypeError: invalid 'instanceof' operand "x" (Firefox)
TypeError: ({}) is not a function (Firefox)
TypeError: Right hand side of instanceof is not an object (Safari)
TypeError: {} is not a function. (evaluating '"x" instanceof {}') (Safari)
Error type
What went wrong?
The instanceof
operator expects the right-hand-side operands to be a constructor object, i.e. an object which has a prototype
property and is callable. It can also be an object with a Symbol.hasInstance
method.
Examples
instanceof vs. typeof
js
"test" instanceof ""; // TypeError: invalid 'instanceof' operand ""
42 instanceof 0; // TypeError: invalid 'instanceof' operand 0
function Foo() {}
const f = Foo(); // Foo() is called and returns undefined
const x = new Foo();
x instanceof f; // TypeError: invalid 'instanceof' operand f
x instanceof x; // TypeError: x is not a function
To fix these errors, you will either need to replace the instanceof
operator with the typeof
operator, or to make sure you use the function name, instead of the result of its evaluation.
js
typeof "test" === "string"; // true
typeof 42 === "number"; // true
function Foo() {}
const f = Foo; // Do not call Foo.
const x = new Foo();
x instanceof f; // true
x instanceof Foo; // true
See also
© 2005–2023 MDN contributors.
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Errors/invalid_right_hand_side_instanceof_operand