Step-by-Step Guide to Configuring Husky and Lint-Staged with ESLint and Prettier

J.A. ShezanJ.A. Shezan
2 min read

To set up Husky and lint-staged for running ESLint and Prettier automatically before every Git commit, follow these step-by-step instructions:

1. Install Husky and lint-staged

Start by installing Husky (for Git hooks) and lint-staged (to run linters only on staged files).

npm i -D husky lint-staged

2. Set Up Husky

Once installed, initialize Husky to create the husky directory in your project.

npx husky install

This command will add the following entry to your package.json:

{
  "husky": {
    "hooks": {}
  }
}

It also creates a .husky/ folder where the Git hooks will reside.

3. Add a Pre-commit Hook

Use Husky to add a pre-commit hook that will trigger linting and formatting using ESLint and Prettier before each commit.

npx husky add .husky/pre-commit "npx lint-staged"

This command creates a .husky/pre-commit file with the following content:

#!/bin/sh
. "$(dirname "$0")/_/husky.sh"

npx lint-staged

4. Configure lint-staged

Next, configure lint-staged in your package.json to specify that ESLint and Prettier should run only on staged files. Add the following configuration:

{
  "lint-staged": {
    "*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}": [
      "eslint --fix",
      "prettier --write"
    ]
  }
}

This configuration ensures that ESLint will fix any linting issues, and Prettier will format files before they are committed.

5. Update Scripts in package.json

Ensure that your package.json also includes the ESLint and Prettier scripts for linting and formatting manually:

{
  "scripts": {
    "lint": "eslint .",
    "format": "prettier --write ."
  }
}

6. Add Husky to Package Scripts

You should also add Husky to your post-install script to automatically install Husky after dependencies are installed:

{
  "scripts": {
    "prepare": "husky install"
  }
}

7. Run Your First Commit

Now, when you make a commit, Husky will automatically run lint-staged to check the staged files for linting and formatting issues:

git add .
git commit -m "Initial commit with Husky and lint-staged"

If ESLint or Prettier detects any issues, they will be automatically fixed before the commit is finalized.

8. Setup for TypeScript (Optional)

For TypeScript projects, make sure that your lint-staged config accounts for .ts and .tsx files:

{
  "lint-staged": {
    "*.{js,jsx,ts,tsx}": [
      "eslint --fix",
      "prettier --write"
    ]
  }
}

Recap

  • Install Husky and lint-staged to automate running ESLint and Prettier before every commit.

  • Configure lint-staged in package.json to target JavaScript/TypeScript files.

  • Add a pre-commit hook using Husky to run lint-staged.

  • ESLint and Prettier will ensure that your code is linted and formatted before it gets committed to Git.

By following these steps, you have an automated setup that helps maintain consistent code style across your project!

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Written by

J.A. Shezan
J.A. Shezan

Shezan loves technology who is currently studying Computer Science and Engineering. He codes frontend & backend of a website. He also does penetration testing on web apps.