How do I format and clean up messy code automatically?

You'll be able to: Auto-format document in VS Code

The steps

1. 1

   Open the file containing the messy or unaligned code in Visual Studio Code. Your code file is open in the main editor window with visible text lines.

   What is code formatting?

   Formatting cleans up tabs, indentation, braces, and line breaks so your code follows clean industry standards and is easy to read.

2. 2

   Press Shift+Alt+F together on your keyboard. The editor instantly aligns all indentations, spaces, brackets, and line wraps across the whole file.

   

3. 3

   If a popup at the bottom asks to select a default formatter, click your preferred formatter (such as Prettier or the built-in language formatter). VS Code remembers your choice and will format automatically using that tool from now on.

4. 4

   Press Ctrl+S to save your freshly formatted code. The file is saved with clean, professional alignment.

It looks different on my screen

You can also format your file by right-clicking anywhere in the code editor and selecting Format Document.

Updated 2026-08-24اقرأ بالعربية