VS Code · Liquid extensions & workflow
An editor where the theme is readable, formatted, and traceable.
FREE
Why I use it
- Liquid highlighting and IntelliSense : fewer silent mistakes.
- GitLens to see who changed what before touching a client theme.
How I use it : mini guide
Minimal extensions : Shopify Liquid, Prettier, sometimes ESLint for theme JS.
- Workspace : One folder per theme, matching Shopify’s standard structure.
- Formatting : Prettier on save for clean diffs in review.
- Snippets : Personal snippets for repeated patterns (JSON schema, blocks).
- Debug : Browser console + occasional breakpoints in front-end JS.
I don’t install a dozen extensions that slow the IDE down.
Concrete Shopify example
Mobile layout bug: global search on class name, Git history on the file, targeted fix.
Limits I've identified
- Liquid in emails or some contexts is less well served.
- Not a full replacement for every team’s preferred IDE.