I Just Discovered Prettier and Husky and Now I'm Wondering Why I Didn't Start Earlier

A few days ago, I added Prettier and Husky to my workflow.

Now I’m looking at my older projects and asking myself:
why wasn’t I doing this from day one?

If you’re working on a JavaScript/TypeScript codebase, especially with a team, this setup is not a “nice to have” it’s foundational.

Let’s break it down.

The Problem: Inconsistent Code in Team Projects

When multiple developers work on the same repository, formatting becomes a silent source of friction:

• different quote styles (' vs ")
• random spacing and line breaks
• unsorted imports
• no consistent wrapping rules

None of this affects functionality, but it destroys readability and pollutes pull requests with meaningless diffs.

You end up reviewing formatting instead of logic.
That’s wasted time.

Prettier: A Single Source of Formatting Truth

Prettier is a code formatter that automatically formats your code based on rules you define.

You configure it once using a .prettierrc.json file:

{
  "semi": true,
  "trailingComma": "es5",
  "singleQuote": true,
  "printWidth": 80,
  "tabWidth": 2,
  "useTabs": false,
  "arrowParens": "always",
  "endOfLine": "lf",
  "plugins": [
    "@trivago/prettier-plugin-sort-imports",
    "prettier-plugin-tailwindcss"
  ],
  "importOrder": [
    "^react$",
    "^next",
    "<THIRD_PARTY_MODULES>",
    "^@repo/(.*)$",
    "^@/(.*)$",
    "^[./]"
  ],
  "importOrderSeparation": true,
  "importOrderSortSpecifiers": true,
  "importOrderGroupNamespaceSpecifiers": true,
  "importOrderCaseInsensitive": true,
  "importOrderParserPlugins": ["typescript", "jsx", "decorators-legacy"]
}

Now your entire project has one formatting standard.

Check formatting

pnpm prettier --check .

Auto-fix everything

pnpm prettier --write .

This eliminates style debates and keeps the codebase clean.

Why Manual Formatting Fails

Even if your team agrees to run Prettier before pushing, people forget.

Not because they don’t care — it’s just an extra step in a busy workflow.

That’s where automation becomes critical.

Husky: Enforcing Formatting at Commit Time

Husky lets you run scripts automatically using Git hooks.

Install Husky

pnpm add -D husky
pnpm husky init

This creates a .husky folder in your project root.

Configure the pre-commit hook

Edit:

.husky/pre-commit

Add:

pnpm prettier --check .
pnpm prettier --write .

Now every time you commit:

• Prettier checks your code

• fixes formatting if needed

• prevents inconsistent code from entering the repo

No manual steps. No forgotten commands.

Optional: Faster Commits with lint-staged

Running Prettier on the entire repo can be slow.

Use lint-staged to format only staged files.

Install

pnpm add -D lint-staged

Add to package.json

{
  "lint-staged": {
    "*.{ts,tsx,js,jsx,json,md,css}": "prettier --write"
  }
}

Update Husky hook

pnpm lint-staged

This keeps commits fast while enforcing formatting.

The Real Benefits

This setup gives you:

• consistent formatting across the entire codebase

• cleaner pull requests (only logic changes show up)

• faster code reviews

• zero formatting arguments

• easier onboarding for new developers

• Tooling enforces the standard — not humans.

What I’d Do From Day One

If I were starting a new project today, this would be my default:

• install Prettier

• define formatting rules

• add Husky with a pre-commit hook

• add lint-staged for performance

Formatting would never be a discussion again.

Final Thoughts

Prettier keeps your code consistent. Husky makes that consistency automatic.

Together, they remove an entire class of problems from your development process.

This isn’t about making code “look pretty.” It’s about making teams faster, reviews cleaner, and codebases easier to maintain.

If your repo doesn’t have this yet, add it today.