To set the default formatting tool in VS Code, you must first install extensions of the corresponding language, such as Prettier, Black or ESLint. 1. Open the settings and search for "Default Formatter", edit the settings.json file to specify the default formatting tools for each language, such as using "esbenp.prettier-vscode" to handle JavaScript, and "ms-python.black-formatter" to handle Python. 2. Optional global settings, but it is recommended to configure them separately by language. 3. Enable the "Format on Save" function, and automatically save and format by adding "editor.formatOnSave": true, and can also be controlled separately according to the language. Be careful to make sure that formatting is not disabled elsewhere, manually select the formatting tool if necessary, and make sure that the CLI required for the extension is installed correctly.
Setting a default formatter in VS Code is pretty straightforward once you know where to look. The key is understanding that it depends on both the language and the specific formatter extension you're using.

Choose an Extension First
Before setting a default, make sure you have a formatting extension installed for your language — like Prettier for JavaScript/TypeScript, Black for Python, or ESLint if you're linting as well.

- Extensions usually take over formatting automatically once installed, but sometimes they don't play nicely with others.
- If you have multiple formatters installed (eg, both Prettier and ESLint), you'll need to explicitly tell VS Code which one to use by default.
Set the Default Formatter Per Language
VS Code lets you define a default formatter based on the file type. That way, when you format a .js
or .py
file, it knows which tool to run.
To do this:

- Open settings (
Ctrl ,
orCmd ,
on Mac). - Search for "Default Formatter" .
- Click "Edit in settings.json" under the relevant section.
Your settings might look something like this:
"[javascript]": { "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode" }, "[python]": { "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-python.black-formatter" }
You can also set a global formatter if you want one tool to handle everything, though this isn't recommended unless you work mostly in one language.
Enable Format on Save
This step isn't required, but most people want their code formatted automatically when saving.
In your settings.json
, add:
"editor.formatOnSave": true
Or, if you prefer more control, enable it per language:
"[html]": { "editor.formatOnSave": false }
This is useful if you want to disable auto-formatting for certain file types where you might care more about manual layout.
Some Gotchas to Watch For
- Make sure formatting isn't disabled somewhere else in your config.
- If nothing happens when you save, try right-clicking the file and selecting "Format Document With..." to manually pick and confirm the formatter.
- Some extensions require additional setup beyond just installing them — like having the formatter CLI installed globally or locally in your project.
Basically that's it. It's not complicated, but it's easy to miss a small detail like the exact extension ID or forgetting to turn on format-on-save. Once everything's aligned, though, your editor will keep your code clean without extra effort.
The above is the detailed content of How to set a default formatter in vscode settings?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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