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To preview a local HTML file in current VS Code Desktop, open the file, right-click it in Explorer (or its editor tab), and choose Open in Integrated Browser. You can also click Show Preview in the editor title bar or run Browser: Open Integrated Browser from the Command Palette. The preview updates while you edit. Install Microsoft’s Live Preview extension only when you need a local development server and live reload for a site or app.
Choose the right preview method
VS Code now has two practical ways to see HTML in a browser-like view. The built-in Integrated Browser is the quickest route for inspecting one local file. Microsoft’s Live Preview extension adds a local server and live-reload workflow that is better suited to a multi-file site or an application.
| Option | Setup | What it does | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Integrated Browser | Included in VS Code Desktop; open a file or use a preview command | Renders the local HTML file and updates as you change it | Quick inspection of a single HTML file or small static page |
| Microsoft Live Preview extension | Install the extension, then choose Show Preview | Starts a local development server with live reload for static and dynamic pages | A site or app that needs server-style serving and continuous reload |
Microsoft documents the built-in workflow in its HTML in Visual Studio Code guide and the extension workflow in its getting-started tutorial.
Preview one HTML file with the built-in Integrated Browser
1. Open the file in VS Code Desktop
- Launch VS Code Desktop.
- Open your project with File > Open Folder…, or open an individual
.htmlfile. - Confirm that the file is saved in the workspace you intend to preview. Relative links such as
css/site.cssandimages/logo.svgare resolved from that file’s location.
2. Open the preview
- In the File Explorer, right-click the HTML file and select Open in Integrated Browser.
- If the file is already open, right-click its editor tab and select Open in Integrated Browser.
- With the HTML editor active, you can instead click the Show Preview icon in the editor title bar.
The Integrated Browser opens the document inside VS Code. Microsoft’s HTML documentation says the rendered view updates in real time as you edit the source, so you can keep the code and result visible without switching to a separate browser window. Save the file if your version or workspace settings do not refresh immediately.
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3. Use the Command Palette or Browser view
Press Ctrl+Shift+P on Windows/Linux or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS, type Browser: Open Integrated Browser, and run the command. You can also use View > Browser or the globe button in the title bar. These entry points are documented in Microsoft’s Integrated browser guide.
4. Check the result
- Headings, paragraphs, links, images, lists and CSS should appear as they would in a browser.
- Edit a visible heading or style rule and watch the preview update.
- If the page uses relative assets, keep the referenced files inside the opened folder and verify the path spelling and letter case.
Open an HTML file in a browser from VS Code
The same Integrated Browser can display a URL. If you select a localhost link in the terminal, chat or another VS Code surface, VS Code documents that it opens in the integrated browser by default. You can also paste the URL into the Integrated Browser opened through Browser: Open Integrated Browser.
This is useful after starting a local server, because the page is then loaded from an HTTP address instead of directly from a file. A server URL can make routing, module loading and other browser behavior closer to the way a deployed site is served.
When Live Preview is the better choice
Choose Live Preview when your project needs a local development server and live reload across multiple pages or dynamic content. It is not mandatory for a basic HTML preview: the built-in Integrated Browser can open a local HTML file on its own.
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- Open the Extensions view in VS Code with the square-shaped Extensions icon in the Activity Bar.
- Search for Live Preview.
- Install the extension published by Microsoft.
- Open the HTML file you want to serve.
- Use the file’s Show Preview command (or the preview button supplied by the extension).
Microsoft’s tutorial describes this installation and the Show Preview workflow for static and dynamic pages. The extension starts a local development server, then reloads the preview as files change.
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Use the Integrated Browser as Live Preview’s browser
If you want the extension’s server but prefer to keep the result inside VS Code, enable the livePreview.useIntegratedBrowser setting. Open Settings, search for that exact setting name, and turn it on. The setting is documented in the Integrated browser documentation.
Integrated Browser or Live Preview?
Use Integrated Browser when
- You need to inspect one HTML file quickly.
- Your page is a straightforward static document.
- You do not want to install an extension or start a server.
- You want the shortest path from an open file to a rendered result.
Use Live Preview when
- Your project has several pages and shared assets.
- You need a local HTTP server rather than direct file rendering.
- You want an extension-managed live-reload workflow for static or dynamic pages.
- Your app expects to be loaded from a local URL during development.
You can begin with the built-in preview and add Live Preview only when a server-based workflow becomes necessary. Installing Live Preview does not make the basic Integrated Browser requirement disappear; it simply adds a different serving mode.
Build a reliable local preview
Keep paths relative to the document
For a file at project/index.html, a stylesheet at project/css/site.css should be referenced as css/site.css, not as a path from your operating system’s root. The same rule applies to scripts and images. A preview that shows HTML but no styling usually has a broken relative path or a filename case mismatch.
Watch the browser-facing output
HTML preview shows the rendered result, not the source text. If you are debugging a script or a failed asset, use the browser’s developer tools where available, or open the same local URL in your regular browser for its Console and Network panels. The VS Code preview itself is still useful for checking layout while you edit.
Serve projects that depend on HTTP
Some projects behave differently when opened as a local file than when served over HTTP. For those projects, start the project’s documented local server and open its localhost address in the Integrated Browser, or use Live Preview. This keeps the preview on the same URL-based path your application expects.
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Desktop VS Code and VS Code for the Web are different
The Integrated Browser documentation describes a VS Code Desktop feature. VS Code for the Web runs the editor inside a browser and has different constraints: Microsoft says the web version has no terminal or debugger and can run only a subset of extensions. A workflow that requires a local runtime, a terminal command or an extension unavailable on the web may therefore require VS Code Desktop or a remote environment.
Before troubleshooting a missing preview command, confirm which product you opened. The browser-based editor is not simply the desktop application displayed in a tab. Microsoft explains these distinctions in Visual Studio Code for the Web.
Version and menu-label notes
Exact labels and icon placement can change between VS Code releases. Microsoft’s VS Code 1.121 release notes state that direct local HTML preview no longer requires an extension. Earlier documentation described the Integrated Browser as a preview feature in VS Code 1.109. If your installation predates those changes, update VS Code or use the Live Preview extension instead of assuming the command is missing from your file.
Check Help > About (or the corresponding macOS menu) for your installed version, then compare the available commands with Microsoft’s current HTML documentation and 1.121 release notes. Do not rely on an older tutorial’s screenshots for current menu placement.
Troubleshooting a blank, stale or incorrect preview
“Open in Integrated Browser” is not shown
- Make sure you are using VS Code Desktop rather than VS Code for the Web.
- Confirm that the selected file is an HTML document and that it is inside the opened workspace.
- Update VS Code if it is an older release; direct local HTML preview is documented in the 1.121 release notes.
- Use the Command Palette and run Browser: Open Integrated Browser as an alternative entry point.
The preview is blank
- Open the HTML source and check for an incomplete tag or a script that prevents the page from finishing.
- Reload the preview after saving the file.
- Try opening the document in a regular browser to distinguish an HTML error from an Integrated Browser issue.
CSS or images do not appear
- Check every
hrefandsrcpath relative to the HTML file. - Match filename capitalization exactly, especially when the project will later run on a case-sensitive host.
- Confirm that the referenced files are inside the opened folder and have actually been saved.
Changes do not show immediately
- Save the HTML, CSS or JavaScript file, then reload the preview.
- If you need a server with continuous live reload across a site, install Microsoft Live Preview and use Show Preview.
- Verify that the preview is displaying the file you edited, not a second copy with the same name.
The page needs a localhost URL
Direct file preview may not match an HTTP-served page. Start your project’s local server, copy its localhost address, and open it in the Integrated Browser. VS Code documents localhost links opening there by default when selected from terminal, chat or other VS Code areas.
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Live Preview cannot be installed or run
- Check that you are in VS Code Desktop and that the extension is the Microsoft-published Live Preview.
- In VS Code for the Web, extension availability and runtime support are limited; switch to Desktop or a remote environment if the workflow needs an unavailable extension or local runtime.
- For a single static file, skip the extension and use the built-in Integrated Browser.
The preview opens outside VS Code
Open the Integrated Browser explicitly with Browser: Open Integrated Browser, or enable livePreview.useIntegratedBrowser when using Live Preview. This setting controls which browser surface the extension uses.
Capture a clean result without configuring a browser
If you need a shareable image or PDF of a deployed page rather than an interactive local preview, ScreenshotNeo is a website screenshot API and MCP server. It accepts a URL and returns PNG, JPEG, WebP or PDF; before capture it accepts cookie/consent banners and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups and chat widgets. Each cleanup step can be disabled.
Or skip the browser setup
Use the API after your page is available at a reachable URL. The complete request examples are in the ScreenshotNeo documentation.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://example.com -o shot.webpimport requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://example.com"}, timeout=90)
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FAQ
Will previewing an HTML file change the file itself?
No. The Integrated Browser renders the document; your source changes only when you edit and save the file in VS Code.
Can I use the same preview workflow for a project stored remotely?
You need the project available in the environment where VS Code is running. In VS Code for the Web, terminal, debugger and extension support are limited, so a remote environment or VS Code Desktop may be required for server-based projects.
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Is a screenshot API a replacement for an interactive preview?
No. VS Code preview is for inspecting and editing a page interactively. ScreenshotNeo is for producing a captured image or PDF from a reachable URL after the page is ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will previewing an HTML file change the file itself?
No. The Integrated Browser renders the document; your source changes only when you edit and save the file in VS Code.
Can I use the same preview workflow for a project stored remotely?
You need the project available in the environment where VS Code is running. In VS Code for the Web, terminal, debugger and extension support are limited, so a remote environment or VS Code Desktop may be required for server-based projects.
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