Introducing tsconfig.json Generator: Visual TypeScript Config Builder with Project Presets

Every TypeScript project starts the same way: create tsconfig.json, spend time looking up the right options, copy from a previous project, second-guess the choices, and end up with a config that works but that you never fully understand.

Today we're launching tsconfig.json Generator — a free, browser-based tool that produces a correct, production-ready TypeScript configuration in seconds. Pick a preset, toggle your options, copy or download. No signup. No server. 100% in your browser.

What Is a tsconfig.json File?

tsconfig.json is the configuration file that the TypeScript compiler (tsc) reads to determine how to compile your code. It controls:

• Which JavaScript version to emit (target)
• How to handle module imports (module, moduleResolution)
• Which DOM and language APIs are available (lib)
• How strict the type checking is (strict, strictNullChecks, noImplicitAny)
• Whether to emit JavaScript files or just type-check (noEmit, outDir)
• How JSX is transformed (jsx) — critical for React projects
• Whether to generate declaration files (declaration, declarationMap) — essential for libraries

The right combination of options depends entirely on your project type. A Next.js app, a Node.js API, a Vite React app, and a reusable TypeScript library all need different configurations.

Why Is tsconfig.json Configuration Painful?

There Are Too Many Options

The TypeScript compiler has well over 100 configuration options. The TypeScript Handbook documents them thoroughly, but reading documentation is not the same as knowing which options to combine for a specific stack.

The Defaults Are Not Always What You Want

Some TypeScript defaults are conservative by design. strict: false is the default — but most modern projects should enable strict mode from day one. moduleResolution: "node" is the default, but "bundler" is correct for most modern frontend projects.

Options Interact in Non-Obvious Ways

Setting esModuleInterop: true implicitly enables allowSyntheticDefaultImports. Setting strict: true enables strictNullChecks, noImplicitAny, and several other flags. Understanding these interactions requires reading the docs carefully.

Copy-Paste from Old Projects Carries Baggage

The most common approach is to copy a tsconfig.json from a previous project. The problem: you inherit that project's choices, which may have been wrong, outdated, or specific to a different stack. You end up with options you don't need and missing options you do need.

How Does tsconfig.json Generator Solve This?

Five Project Presets

One click loads a correct baseline for your stack:

Next.js — follows the official Next.js TypeScript documentation:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES5",
    "module": "ESNext",
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "lib": ["dom", "dom.iterable", "esnext"],
    "jsx": "preserve",
    "strict": true,
    "noEmit": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
    "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
    "incremental": true,
    "baseUrl": ".",
    "paths": { "@/*": ["./src/*"] }
  }
}

React (Vite) — correct for Vite-based React projects with the new JSX transform:

{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "ESNext",
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "lib": ["ES2020", "DOM", "DOM.Iterable"],
    "jsx": "react-jsx",
    "strict": true,
    "noEmit": true,
    "sourceMap": true,
    "noUnusedLocals": true,
    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true
  }
}

Node.js — uses NodeNext module resolution for modern Node.js ESM projects.

TypeScript Library — enables declaration, declarationMap, composite, and sourceMap for publishing a typed npm package.

Browser (Vanilla TS) — for TypeScript projects compiled directly by tsc without a framework bundler.

What Does "moduleResolution: bundler" Mean?

This is one of the most commonly misunderstood tsconfig.json settings. The "bundler" mode was introduced in TypeScript 4.7 and is designed for projects where a bundler (Vite, esbuild, Next.js, Parcel) handles module resolution at build time.

In "bundler" mode:

• TypeScript allows import statements without file extensions (the bundler resolves them)
• package.json exports fields are respected
• CommonJS-style require() is disallowed in .ts files

For Node.js projects that run tsc directly without a bundler, use "nodeNext" instead.

What Is the Difference Between strict and Individual Strict Flags?

strict: true is a shorthand that enables a bundle of individual flags:

• strictNullChecks — null and undefined are distinct types
• noImplicitAny — error on implicit any type
• strictFunctionTypes — stricter function type checking
• strictBindCallApply — stricter bind, call, and apply
• strictPropertyInitialization — error on uninitialised class properties
• noImplicitThis — error on implicit any type for this
• useUnknownInCatchVariables — catch variables default to unknown instead of any

Enabling strict: true is the recommended approach. The generator turns off the strict toggle to reveal the individual flags, so you can understand exactly what strict mode enables.

When Should I Use noEmit: true?

Set noEmit: true when your project uses a separate build tool to compile TypeScript:

• Next.js — Next.js runs its own Babel/SWC compilation. tsc is used only for type checking.
• Vite — esbuild handles compilation. tsc is for types only.
• ts-jest — Jest compiles TypeScript at test time. tsc type-checks the project.

Leave noEmit: false (the default) when tsc is your build tool — Node.js projects, TypeScript libraries compiled directly, or any project where tsc is responsible for producing the JavaScript output.

When Should I Use declaration: true?

Enable declaration: true when you are building a TypeScript library that other TypeScript projects will consume. This tells tsc to emit .d.ts files alongside the compiled JavaScript. Without declaration files, consumers of your library get no type information.

Pair it with:

• declarationMap: true — enables "Go to definition" to jump to the original .ts source instead of the generated .d.ts
• composite: true — required for TypeScript project references, which power monorepo incremental builds

Live Preview Updates in Real Time

There is no "Generate" button. The tsconfig.json preview updates every time you change an option. This makes it easy to see the direct effect of each toggle — especially for options like strict (which reveals or hides child flags) or esModuleInterop (which makes allowSyntheticDefaultImports redundant).

Copy or Download in One Click

The tool provides two ways to get your config:

• Copy — copies the JSON to your clipboard, ready to paste into your project
• Download — saves the file directly as tsconfig.json — drop it into your project root

Is This Tool Free? Does It Send Data Anywhere?

Completely free, with no account required. All logic runs in your browser — there are no server calls, no analytics on your configuration choices, and no rate limits. Your tsconfig settings stay on your device.

The tool works offline once the page has loaded.

Who Is This For?

• TypeScript developers starting a new project who want a correct baseline without doc-diving
• JavaScript developers adding TypeScript to an existing project for the first time
• Teams establishing a standard tsconfig baseline for new services
• Library authors who need the right emit settings for shipping typed packages
• Developers onboarding to TypeScript who want to understand what each option does

Try It Now

Generate your tsconfig.json in seconds — no signup, no setup.

👉 tsconfig-generator.tools.jagodana.com

Open source on GitHub:

👉 github.com/Jagodana-Studio-Private-Limited/tsconfig-generator

This is part of the 365 Tools Challenge — one small, useful developer tool every day for a year.