prettier-plugin-sort-imports

1.8.11 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript

A Prettier plugin that sorts import statements by line length or alphabetically. Currently at version 1.8.11 with monthly releases. It automatically loads into Prettier, sorting by line length by default. Differentiates itself from alternatives by offering line-length sorting (not just alphabetical) and import-type grouping (NPM vs local, type vs value). Requires TypeScript >4.0.0 as a peer dependency. Supports both Prettier 2 and 3 with separate entry points.

Common errors

error Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'sortingMethod') ↓

cause Plugin not loaded or not properly configured in Prettier config

fix

Ensure prettier-plugin-sort-imports is installed and referenced in plugins array (for Prettier 3) or pluginSearchDirs (for Prettier 2)

error Error: Invalid importTypeOrder array: must contain either 'all' or a combination of 'NPMPackages', 'localImports', 'localImportsValue', 'localImportsType' ↓

cause importTypeOrder contains incomplete or incompatible types

fix

Use only 'all' alone, or specify NPMPackages with one of the local import types (e.g., ['NPMPackages', 'localImports'])

error TypeError: Cannot read properties of undefined (reading 'some') ↓

cause Prettier version mismatch (trying to use Prettier 3 entry point with Prettier 2)

fix

Use the correct plugin path: './node_modules/prettier-plugin-sort-imports/dist/index.js' for Prettier 3, './node_modules/prettier-plugin-sort-imports/dist/index.2.js' for Prettier 2

Warnings

gotcha Plugin must be manually added to plugins array for Prettier 3; auto-discovery may not work ↓

fix Add 'plugins: ["./node_modules/prettier-plugin-sort-imports/dist/index.js"]' to Prettier config

gotcha Cannot combine 'all' import type with other types in importTypeOrder ↓

fix Use only 'all' alone, or specify an array without 'all' (e.g., ['NPMPackages', 'localImports'])

deprecated pluginSearchDirs option is deprecated in Prettier 3; use plugins array instead ↓

fix Remove pluginSearchDirs and directly reference the plugin path in the plugins array

gotcha Line-length sorting uses the entire import statement length, not just the source path ↓

fix Consider using alphabetical sorting if you want predictable order based on module name

gotcha Newlines between import groups are stripped when stripNewlines is true, which may break intentional grouping ↓

fix Set stripNewlines to false if you want to preserve blank lines between import blocks

Install

npm install prettier-plugin-sort-imports

yarn add prettier-plugin-sort-imports

pnpm add prettier-plugin-sort-imports

Imports

default export
wrong
```
const plugin = require('prettier-plugin-sort-imports')
```
correct
```
auto-loaded by Prettier; no explicit import needed
```
The plugin is auto-discovered by Prettier; do not import it in code. For Prettier 3, reference it in plugins array as a path.
sortingMethod option
wrong
```
sortingMethod: 'length'
```
correct
```
sortingMethod: 'lineLength' or 'alphabetical' in Prettier config
```
Set in .prettierrc or prettier.config.js; valid values are 'lineLength' (default) and 'alphabetical'.
importTypeOrder option
wrong
```
importTypeOrder: ['npm', 'local']
```
correct
```
importTypeOrder: ['NPMPackages', 'localImports']
```
Use the exact strings: 'NPMPackages', 'localImportsValue', 'localImportsType', 'localImports', or 'all'. Cannot mix 'all' with others.

Quickstart

Demonstrates installation, configuration with import type ordering and line-length sorting, and the resulting import order change.

// Install: npm install --save-dev prettier prettier-plugin-sort-imports
// prettier.config.js
module.exports = {
  sortingMethod: 'lineLength',
  importTypeOrder: ['NPMPackages', 'localImports'],
  plugins: ['./node_modules/prettier-plugin-sort-imports/dist/index.js'],
};

// Before
import z from 'zoo';
import a from './local';
import b from 'bar';
import type { C } from './types';

// After formatting with Prettier
import b from 'bar';
import z from 'zoo';
import a from './local';
import type { C } from './types';