JavaScript extensions for VS Code

Visual Studio Code supports many features for JavaScript and Node.js development. The features that ship with the downloaded product are the core features: debugging, IntelliSense, code navigation, etc.

In addition, to these core features, you can install a large number of quality extensions to add features to VS Code for JavaScript development.

Tip: To see how to install and manage your extensions, please refer to the extension documentation.

Finding extensions

You can find JavaScript extensions by typing JavaScript in the Extension view search bar. Alternatively, you can find JavaScript extensions using tags: “tag:javascript”. Search for more extensions in VS Code or in the Marketplace.

In addition you can search for Node.js extensions.

Tip: The extensions shown above are dynamically queried. Click on an extension tile above to read the description and reviews to decide which extension is best for you. See more in the Marketplace.

Recommended extensions

If you are just getting started, here are the extensions we recommend trying out.

ESLint

Marketplace - ESLint

Publisher - Dirk Baeumer

Easily integrate ESLint into your project. If ESLint isn’t your favorite linter, choose among a variety of other linter extensions, including JSHint, JSCS, and JS Standard.

Read more about setting up JavaScript linters in the VS Code documentation.

eslint animation

JavaScript (ES6) code snippets

Marketplace - JavaScript (ES6) code snippets

Publisher - charalampos karypidis

VS Code comes with many built-in code snippets. The JavaScript (ES6) code snippets extension adds snippets for ES6 (ECMAScript 6) syntax. Here is a small sampling of the snippets provided by this extension. See the extension’s README to see the dozens of snippets this pack gives you.

javascript snippets

You can read more about JavaScript snippets in the VS Code documentation. For additional snippet packs, including Angular 1, Angular 2, Bootstrap 3, ReactJs, and jQuery, check out the Marketplace’s Snippets category.

npm IntelliSense

Marketplace - npm IntelliSense

Publisher - Christian Kohler

This extension provides IntelliSense for npm modules when using require or import.

npm intellisense

Debugger for Chrome

Marketplace - Debugger for Chrome

Publisher - Microsoft

When you develop for the front end, you might not see the value of an integrated debugger in your editor. You use the browser’s debugger right? This is where the Debugger for Chrome extension comes in. This extension lets you debug your JavaScript code in the Google Chrome browser, or any other targets that support the Chrome Debugging Protocol while staying in VS Code. No more context switching to debug!

Prefer to debug using a different browser? You can find extensions for Edge and Firefox as well.

debugger for chrome image

Document This

Marketplace - Document This

Publisher - Joel Day

This extension will automatically generate detailed JSDoc comments for your code.

document this