prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table

2.0.0 verified Sat Apr 25 auth: no javascript

Prettier plugin that sorts the rows of markdown tables alphabetically by the first column. Current stable version is 2.0.0, released May 2025, with a slow release cadence. Requires Prettier 3.x. Table sorting is opt-in: only tables preceded by a `` comment are sorted. Key differentiator: minimal configuration — just drop in and annotate — unlike other markdown formatters that require manual sorting.

Common errors

error Error: Cannot find module 'prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table' ↓

cause Plugin not installed or not in node_modules.

fix

Run npm i -D prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table

error Error: Invalid plugin: prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table ↓

cause Prettier version is too old (pre v3) or plugin is not compatible.

fix

Upgrade Prettier to 3.x and use plugin v2.0.0 or later

error Error: [pretty-quick] No files matching the pattern found in the working tree. ↓

cause Running pretty-quick without specifying markdown files, or using wrong glob pattern.

fix

Use pretty-quick --pattern '**/*.md'

Warnings

breaking v2.0.0 drops support for Prettier 2; requires Prettier 3.x ↓

fix Upgrade Prettier to version 3.x

gotcha Table sorting only works when preceded by the annotation comment ``. Without it, no sorting occurs. ↓

fix Add `` on the line immediately above the table.

gotcha The plugin may conflict with other prettier plugins that also process markdown (e.g., prettier-plugin-md-nocjsp) leading to unexpected order of operations. ↓

fix Ensure plugins are listed in the correct order or test formatting with both plugins enabled.

deprecated v1.x is deprecated and may not work with newer Prettier versions; upgrade to v2 for compatibility. ↓

fix Upgrade to v2.0.0 and Prettier 3.x

Install

npm install prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table

yarn add prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table

pnpm add prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table

Imports

plugin
wrong
```
import prettierPluginSortMarkdownTable from 'prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table'
```
correct
```
plugins: [require('prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table')]
```
Prettier plugins are typically loaded via require in .prettierrc.js or prettier.config.js; ESM import is not recommended for plugin registration.

default export

wrong

import { default } from 'prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table'

correct

export default { plugins: ['prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table'] }

The package does not export any symbols for programmatic usage; it only registers as a Prettier plugin.

CLI usage

wrong

prettier --plugin='prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table' README.md

correct

npx prettier --plugin=prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table --write README.md

The plugin must be specified with --plugin flag when running prettier CLI if not auto-loaded.

Quickstart

Installs the plugin, configures Prettier to load it automatically, then formats a markdown table with the opt-in comment.

npm i -D prettier prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table

cat > .prettierrc.js << 'EOF'
module.exports = {
  plugins: ['prettier-plugin-sort-markdown-table'],
};
EOF

cat > README.md << 'EOF'
<!-- prettier-sort-markdown-table -->
| name | email |
| ---- | ----- |
| zhang | zhang@a.com |
| wang | wang@a.com |
| alice | alice@example.com |
EOF

npx prettier --write README.md

# Output README.md rows sorted by first column alphabetically: alice, wang, zhang