textlint

TLDR

Lint markdown files

$ textlint "[docs/**/*.md]"

Lint a directory

$ textlint [docs/]

Auto-fix problems

$ textlint --fix [README.md]

Dry run to preview fixes

$ textlint --fix --dry-run --format diff [README.md]

Use specific config file

$ textlint -c [.textlintrc.json] [file.md]

Lint stdin

$ cat [README.md] | textlint --stdin --stdin-filename "README.md"

Output in JSON format

$ textlint --format json [docs/]

Initialize configuration

$ textlint --init

SYNOPSIS

textlint [options] [file|dir|glob...]

textlint is a pluggable linter for natural language text. It checks prose for style issues, grammar problems, and writing inconsistencies using configurable rules.
Rules are installed as npm packages and configured in .textlintrc. Available rules cover spelling, terminology, sentence length, redundant phrases, and writing style guidelines. Presets bundle commonly used rule sets.
The tool supports Markdown, plain text, and other formats through plugins. It integrates with editors and CI/CD pipelines for automated text quality checks.
Auto-fix mode can automatically correct many issues. Use dry-run with diff format to preview changes before applying.
Install via npm: `npm install textlint`

PARAMETERS

-c, --config file

Configuration file path.

--ignore-path file

File with patterns to ignore (default: .textlintignore).

--init

Create configuration file if not exists.

--fix

Automatically fix problems.

--dry-run

Preview fixes without writing.

--debug

Output debugging information.

--print-config

Print resolved configuration.

--stdin

Lint text from stdin.

--stdin-filename name

Filename for stdin input.

-f, --format format

Output format: stylish, json, checkstyle, compact, junit, tap, unix.

-o, --output-file file

Write report to file.

--no-color

Disable colored output.

--quiet

Report errors only.

--no-textlintrc

Disable .textlintrc loading.

--rule rule

Rule package to use.

--preset preset

Preset package to load.

--plugin plugin

Plugin package to use.

--cache

Only check changed files.

-v, --version

Display version.

-h, --help

Display help.

CAVEATS

Requires Node.js and npm. Rules must be installed separately. Configuration complexity increases with multiple rules. Some rules may conflict with each other.

HISTORY

textlint was created by azu as an ESLint-inspired linter for prose. It applies the pluggable architecture pattern to natural language checking, allowing the community to develop specialized rules for different writing styles and languages.