---
description: 'Enforce type definitions to consistently use either `interface` or `type`.'
---

import Tabs from '@theme/Tabs';
import TabItem from '@theme/TabItem';

> 🛑 This file is source code, not the primary documentation location! 🛑
>
> See **https://typescript-eslint.io/rules/consistent-type-definitions** for documentation.

TypeScript provides two common ways to define an object type: `interface` and `type`.

```ts
// type alias
type T1 = {
  a: string;
  b: number;
};

// interface keyword
interface T2 {
  a: string;
  b: number;
}
```

The two are generally very similar, and can often be used interchangeably.
Using the same type declaration style consistently helps with code readability.

## Options

- `'interface'` _(default)_: enforce using `interface`s for object type definitions.
- `'type'`: enforce using `type`s for object type definitions.

### `'interface'`

{/* insert option description */}

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="❌ Incorrect">

```ts option='"interface"'
type T = { x: number };
```

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="✅ Correct">

```ts option='"interface"'
type T = string;
type Foo = string | {};

interface T {
  x: number;
}
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

### `'type'`

{/* insert option description */}

<Tabs>
<TabItem value="❌ Incorrect">

```ts option='"type"'
interface T {
  x: number;
}
```

</TabItem>
<TabItem value="✅ Correct">

```ts option='"type"'
type T = { x: number };
```

</TabItem>
</Tabs>

## When Not To Use It

If you specifically want to use an interface or type literal for stylistic reasons, you can avoid this rule.

However, keep in mind that inconsistent style can harm readability in a project.
We recommend picking a single option for this rule that works best for your project.

There are also subtle differences between `Record` and `interface` that can be difficult to catch statically.
For example, if your project is a dependency of another project that relies on a specific type definition style, this rule may be counterproductive.
You might consider using [ESLint disable comments](https://eslint.org/docs/latest/use/configure/rules#using-configuration-comments-1) for those specific situations instead of completely disabling this rule.
