tsconfig.json Generator — Visual TypeScript Config Builder

tsconfig.json Generator is a free, browser-based tool that helps TypeScript developers create a correct, production-ready tsconfig.json without memorising every compiler option. Choose a project preset, toggle the options you need, watch the JSON update live, and copy or download the result in one click.

The Problem

Every TypeScript project starts the same way: create tsconfig.json, look up the options you need, copy from a project you had last year, forget whether moduleResolution: "bundler" is right for your new Next.js project, and spend 20 minutes cross-referencing the TypeScript docs.

The official TypeScript Handbook documents hundreds of compiler options. The right combination depends on whether you're targeting Node.js or a browser, whether you use a bundler like Vite or Next.js, whether you're building a library that ships .d.ts declaration files, and a dozen other context-specific decisions.

The mental overhead is real. Even experienced TypeScript developers open a previous project's config and copy-paste when starting fresh.

How It Works

1. Project Presets

Click one button to load a sensible baseline for your stack:

• Next.js — target: ES5, moduleResolution: "bundler", jsx: "preserve", noEmit: true, incremental builds, paths support
• React (Vite) — target: ES2020, moduleResolution: "bundler", jsx: "react-jsx", source maps on
• Node.js — target: ES2022, module: "NodeNext", moduleResolution: "nodenext", strict, no emit
• TypeScript Library — declaration: true, declarationMap: true, composite: true, source maps
• Browser (Vanilla TS) — target: ES2020, moduleResolution: "bundler", DOM libs, source maps

Each preset reflects the current official recommendations for that stack. Customize from there.

2. Full Compiler Option Control

Every section is individually configurable:

Output Settings — target, module system, moduleResolution, JSX transform, outDir, rootDir

Type Checking — strict mode (and individual strict flags when strict is off), noUnusedLocals, noUnusedParameters, noFallthroughCasesInSwitch, forceConsistentCasingInFileNames

Emit — noEmit, declaration, declarationMap, sourceMap, removeComments, incremental, composite

Interop & Extras — esModuleInterop, skipLibCheck, resolveJsonModule, allowJs, checkJs, experimentalDecorators, @ path alias

Include / Exclude — configurable via comma-separated text fields

lib — checkboxes for all common lib entries (ES2020, DOM, DOM.Iterable, ESNext, WebWorker, etc.)

3. Live JSON Preview

The generated tsconfig.json updates in real time as you toggle options. There is no "generate" button — the output is always current.

4. Copy & Download

Click Copy to copy the JSON to your clipboard, or Download to save it directly as tsconfig.json — ready to drop into your project root.

Key Features

• Five project presets — Next.js, React (Vite), Node.js, TypeScript Library, Browser
• Live JSON preview — output updates as you change options, no button press needed
• Full compiler option coverage — target, module, strict mode, JSX, emit, lib, and more
• Copy & download — clipboard copy or direct file download
• Fully client-side — no data sent to any server, works offline once loaded
• No signup required — open and generate immediately
• Dark mode support — respects system preference

Technical Implementation

Core Technologies

• Next.js 16 with App Router
• TypeScript in strict mode
• Tailwind CSS v4 with OKLCH design tokens
• shadcn/ui component library
• Framer Motion for animated UI
• Client-side rendering — zero external API dependencies

Architecture

• React state drives the TsConfig object that represents the current configuration
• buildTsconfig() pure function converts state to a JSON-safe object, omitting default values and redundant fields (e.g., allowSyntheticDefaultImports when esModuleInterop is already true)
• JSON.stringify with 2-space indent produces the live preview output
• Preset system applies partial config objects on top of the current state
• Clipboard API and URL.createObjectURL handle copy and download without any server calls

Use Cases

Starting a New TypeScript Project

Instead of copying an old config and adjusting it, open the generator, click the preset for your stack, toggle any project-specific options, and download. The whole workflow takes under a minute.

Onboarding Developers to TypeScript

When a JavaScript developer is setting up TypeScript for the first time, the option descriptions in the tool ("Enables all strict type-checking flags", "Skip type checking of .d.ts files") make the config readable and educational, not just a wall of JSON.

Debugging Compiler Behaviour

When TypeScript is behaving unexpectedly, the generator helps verify which options should be set for a given stack. Comparing your project's config against the generator's preset reveals missing or conflicting options.

Library Authors

The Library preset automatically sets declaration: true, declarationMap: true, composite: true, and correct output paths — everything needed to ship a TypeScript package that consumers can type-check against.

Monorepo Projects

The composite: true and incremental: true options are explained in the UI, making it easier to configure project references correctly without looking up the TypeScript docs.

Why tsconfig.json Generator?

vs. Manual Configuration

• No memorisation required — every option is visible with a description
• Context-appropriate presets — start from a correct baseline, not zero
• Live preview — see the exact output before saving it

vs. Copying from Another Project

• Always up to date — presets reflect current TypeScript and framework recommendations
• Intentional choices — every option is visible and togglable, not silently inherited
• No cruft — the generator only includes options that add value for your configuration

vs. TypeScript Documentation

• Action-oriented — produces a file, not an explanation
• Contextual — presets guide you to the right combination for your stack
• Faster — seconds to a working config instead of minutes of reading

Results

tsconfig.json Generator removes the configuration overhead from starting a TypeScript project:

• Zero lookup time — presets surface the right options for each stack
• No silent mistakes — every option is visible, not hidden
• Faster project setup — from zero to a correct tsconfig.json in seconds

---

Try it now: tsconfig-generator.tools.jagodana.com