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How to Add an HTML Linter to Your Editor and Build Pipeline

Set up project-local HTMLHint for consistent VS Code diagnostics and CI linting, with one committed configuration and an optional Nu Html Checker pass.
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Use one project-local HTMLHint installation and one committed .htmlhintrc to give developers consistent lint results in VS Code, on the command line, and in CI. HTMLHint requires Node.js 22 or later according to its current getting-started guide. Add the Nu Html Checker only if you also want a separate document-checking pass; it serves a different purpose and is not a certification gate.

1. Install HTMLHint in the project

Check that the Node.js version used by your project meets HTMLHint’s current requirement of Node.js 22 or later. Install HTMLHint as a development dependency so the project controls its version instead of relying on each developer’s global installation.

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npm install --save-dev htmlhint

For a Yarn project, use:

yarn add --dev htmlhint

HTMLHint documents both installation methods in its getting-started guide. If your project or CI runner uses an older Node.js release, resolve that compatibility issue before adopting the current HTMLHint version.

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2. Create a shared configuration

From the project root, initialize a configuration file:

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npx htmlhint --init

Review the generated .htmlhintrc rather than treating its rules as universal defaults. HTMLHint’s starter example includes rules such as alt-require, button-type-require, html-lang-require, input-requires-label, main-require, and title-require. Confirm that each rule fits your markup and conventions, and consult the rule reference when tuning the file.

Commit .htmlhintrc to the repository. HTMLHint searches the current directory and parent directories for its configuration, so developers and CI can use the same rules when working from the project. If the configuration is elsewhere, pass its location with the documented --config option. See the configuration guide for discovery behavior and options.

3. Connect HTMLHint to VS Code

  1. Install the current HTMLHint extension from the VS Code Marketplace.
  2. Open an HTML file in the project. The extension reports diagnostics in the Problems panel and underlines issues in the editor.
  3. Keep HTMLHint installed in the project. The extension tries the local package first and uses an embedded version if no local installation is available, so a local dependency helps keep editor results aligned with the project’s chosen version.

The extension recognizes .htmlhintrc. Its listing also documents settings such as documentSelector, file associations, and configFile for HTML-like templates or nonstandard project layouts. The extension can also use VS Code JSON schema settings for configuration-file completion and validation. The older Microsoft extension repository was archived on October 12, 2022; use the current Marketplace listing for setup details.

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4. Run the same lint check locally and in CI

Choose whether your policy applies to source HTML, generated HTML, or both. Linting source templates can catch issues close to where developers edit them; linting generated files checks the documents the build produces. The project must decide which files represent its intended policy.

HTMLHint’s CLI accepts files or directories. A broad example is:

npx htmlhint "**/*.html"

In practice, narrow the glob or exclude generated output, dependencies, and other irrelevant directories so the command checks the files you intend. HTMLHint supports ignore patterns and output formats including SARIF; see its CLI documentation.

You can put the command in a package script so contributors and the build use the same entry point:

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{
  "scripts": {
    "lint:html": "htmlhint "**/*.html""
  }
}

Then run npm run lint:html locally and invoke that same script in CI after installing the project dependencies. If your build generates HTML, place the lint step after the build and target the generated directory; otherwise target the source files. This keeps the command and configuration consistent while making the checked file set explicit.

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Choose what happens when findings appear

A CI lint step can block a pull request or report findings without failing the job. HTMLHint’s GitHub Code Scanning guide shows SARIF reporting and artifact upload, but its sample uses || true so the workflow continues when lint findings occur. That is a reporting workflow, not a blocking lint gate.

  • Blocking gate: run the lint command without suppressing its failure when the team wants findings to fail the job.
  • Reporting first: publish SARIF findings while allowing the job to continue, then decide whether and when to make the check blocking.

The HTMLHint guide notes that scanning private and internal repositories requires GitHub Code Security features to be enabled. Confirm the repository’s feature availability before relying on Code Scanning reports.

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5. Decide whether you also need the Nu Html Checker

HTMLHint and the Nu Html Checker do related but distinct jobs. HTMLHint is a configurable linter for project rules and common checks. Nu Html Checker offers another checking pass for HTML, CSS, and SVG, including command-line batch use and service-based options. A team may use both when it wants project conventions plus a separate document check; the second tool is optional, not a prerequisite for adding HTMLHint.

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The Nu Html Checker maintainers caution that it is an ongoing experiment whose behavior may change. They state: “The Nu Html Checker should not be used as a means to attempt to unilaterally enforce pass/fail conformance of documents to any particular specifications; it is intended solely as a checker, not as a pass/fail certification mechanism.” Read the project’s Nu Html Checker documentation and About page before making it part of a workflow.

Other integration options

If your project already uses a broader linting framework or task runner, HTMLHint’s integrations index lists options including Super-Linter, MegaLinter, Grunt, Gulp, and webpack ecosystem integrations. Treat these as alternatives to a direct CLI step when they fit the existing build, and check their current versions and behavior before adopting them.

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