Visual Studio Code has become the favourite editor of millions of developers, and one big reason is its huge library of extensions. With the right few installed, VS Code goes from a good text editor to a genuinely powerful workshop. With too many, it can become slow and cluttered. So we’ve picked ten extensions that we think earn their place in almost any developer’s setup, whether you build websites, web apps or backend systems.
1. Prettier automatically formats your code every time you save, so spacing, quotes and line breaks are always consistent. No more debates about style, and no more messy files. 2. ESLint goes a step further for JavaScript and TypeScript, catching likely bugs and bad patterns as you type. Together, these two keep your code clean without you having to think about it.
3. GitLens shows who changed each line of code, when, and why, right inside the editor. It’s wonderful for understanding older code or tracking down when a bug was introduced. 4. Error Lens displays errors and warnings directly on the line where they happen, instead of hiding them in a separate panel. It sounds small, but it makes problems impossible to miss.
5. An AI coding assistant, such as GitHub Copilot or a similar tool, can suggest code, explain unfamiliar functions and help write tests and documentation. Just remember to review what it suggests before using it. 6. Live Server launches a local preview of your web pages that refreshes automatically whenever you save, which makes frontend work much faster and more enjoyable.
7. Path Intellisense autocompletes file names and paths as you type, saving you from broken links and “file not found” errors. 8. REST Client lets you send API requests straight from a simple text file in your editor, so you can test your backend without switching to another app, and keep those test requests alongside your code.
9. Docker makes it easy to manage containers, view logs and work with development environments that match your server, which helps avoid the classic “but it works on my machine” problem. 10. Code Spell Checker catches spelling mistakes in code, comments and text, which is more useful than it sounds, especially for anything users will read. If you work with PHP or WordPress, PHP Intelephense is a worthy bonus pick for smart autocompletion and error checking.
A final tip: fewer, well-chosen extensions beat a long list you never use. Try these one at a time, keep the ones that genuinely help, and review your list every few months. At YOURFORT Solutions, we care a lot about good tools and good habits, because they’re what let a team build faster without cutting corners. If you’d like help setting up a productive development workflow for your team, drop us a message.
