await is only valid in async function' when running a test in js (webdriverio)

The problem

I am running the code from the ‘Get Started’ page of the Appium website and I am running into the following error:

const field = await client.$("~TextField1");
              ^^^^^

SyntaxError: await is only valid in async function

Environment

• Appium version (or git revision) that exhibits the issue: 1.13.0
• Desktop OS/version used to run Appium: Windows 10
• Mobile platform/version under test: Android 8.0
• Real device or emulator/simulator: Android Emulator (Google Pixel 2)
• Appium CLI or Appium.app|exe: Appium App

Details

I ran the code exactly copied from the Appium website under ‘Get Started’ and I ran into the error described above.

Link to Appium logs

[info] [Appium] Welcome to Appium v1.13.0 [info] [Appium] Appium REST http interface listener started on 0.0.0.0:4723

Note: the logs don’t seem to show a connection to the Appium server running on localhost:4723 ocurring

Code To Reproduce Issue [ Good To Have ]

const wdio = require("webdriverio");

const opts = {
  port: 4723,
  capabilities: {
    platformName: "Android",
    platformVersion: "8.0",
    deviceName: "Pixel 2 Android 8.0",
    app: "./ApiDemos.apk",
    automationName: "UiAutomator2"
  }
};

const client = wdio.remote(opts);

const field = await client.$("~TextField1");
await field.setValue("Hello World!");
const value = await field.getValue();
assert.equal(value,"Hello World!");

[imurchie]

The “Getting Started” page was recently fixed. I guess it hasn’t been updated on appium.io.

See https://github.com/appium/appium/blob/master/docs/en/about-appium/getting-started.md

[dpgraham]

Try running with Node v12