More than likely you installed autopep8 into a different interpreter/environment than you one have selected in VS Code. If you remove your formatter settings from your settings.json and then try formatting again, you will get prompted to choose and install a formatter (either autopep8, yapf, or black).

Answer from Brett Cannon on Stack Overflow
🌐
GitHub
github.com › microsoft › vscode-python › issues › 22412
python There is no formatter for 'python' files installed. · Issue #22412 · microsoft/vscode-python
November 2, 2023 - The latest vscode causes python's formatting buttons to disappear, even though I have all the relevant python plugins and autopep8 installed!
Author   ponponon
🌐
Stack Overflow
stackoverflow.com › questions › 54953381 › i-cant-format-python-file-on-visual-studio-code-there-is-no-document-formatte
I can't format Python file on Visual Studio Code: "There is no document formatter for 'python'-files installed." - Stack Overflow
Top answer
1 of 3
13

More than likely you installed autopep8 into a different interpreter/environment than you one have selected in VS Code. If you remove your formatter settings from your settings.json and then try formatting again, you will get prompted to choose and install a formatter (either autopep8, yapf, or black).

2 of 3
6

I had the same problem, but I was using Prettier. Thus it doesn't support python properly or vscode doesn't recognize it as python formatter. I installed autopep8 for python in extentions bar. Then I configured the settings.json for user and workspace settings.json:

user settings:

"[python]": {
    "editor.formatOnType": true,
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-python.autopep8"
    
},

workspace-settings:

"folders": [
    {
        "path": "."
    }
],
"settings": {
    "git.ignoreLimitWarning": true,
    "python.defaultInterpreterPath": "path_to_your_project",
    "[python]": {
        "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-python.autopep8"
    }
},

And it worked!

Videos
03:16
🌐 YouTube
How to Install & Configure Black Formatter in VS Code for Python ...
July 24, 2025
06:36
🌐 YouTube
How to Format Python Code on Save in Visual Studio Code | Auto-Format ...
February 22, 2025
05:44
🌐 YouTube
Format Python code ON SAVE in Visual Studio Code - YouTube
January 14, 2023
07:38
🌐 YouTube
Auto Code Formatting in VSCode | Best Formatter for Visual Studio ...
December 2, 2023
6.58K
View all
View all
🌐
Reddit
reddit.com › r/askprogramming › my formatter for python in vs code is not working.
r/AskProgramming on Reddit: My formatter for Python in VS Code is not working.
December 6, 2023 -

I have been using VS Code for as long as I can remember, but for a few days now, when I try to format any of my Python files, it shows the error:

There is no formatter for 'python' files installed. Install Formatter...

I have the Prettier extension installed, which I use to format other files too. The default formatter for Python is set to prettier. It works for all other files, like JS, Java, C++, etc. The error only arises for Python files.

Please tell me what I can do to make it work again. Thank You.

Top answer
1 of 3
2
I had the same issue and fixed it by installing black-formatter and making sure following in the settings.json: "[python]": { "editor.defaultFormatter": "ms-python.black-formatter" },
2 of 3
1
If I were you I’d read the docs for the package you’re using for formatting and use the cli commands!
🌐
GitHub
github.com › astral-sh › ruff-vscode › issues › 460
"There is no formatter for 'python' files installed." · Issue #460 · astral-sh/ruff-vscode
April 26, 2024 - I have just installed the extension and reloaded my VSCode window. However, when attempted Cmd+P => Format document, I'm now faced with an error modal dialog:
Author   samuela
🌐
Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com › docs › python › formatting
Formatting Python in VS Code
November 3, 2021 - Open a Python file in VS Code. Right-click on the editor to display the context menu. Select Format Document With.... Select Configure Default Formatter...
🌐
GitHub
github.com › kbrose › vsc-python-indent › issues › 121
There is no formatter for 'python' files installed · Issue #121 · kbrose/vsc-python-indent
June 9, 2024 - Have tried this VSCode settings config "[python]": { "editor.defaultFormatter": "KevinRose.vsc-python-indent", "diffEditor.ignoreTrimWhitespace": false, &quo...
Author   eodeluga
🌐
GitHub
github.com › microsoft › vscode-python › issues › 22897
No python formatter installed - Local new setup or Github codespace with python extension + formatter installed · Issue #22897 · microsoft/vscode-python
February 10, 2024 - There are issues with formatting Python files in Codespaces due to deprecated settings. If the user has the python extension installed with pylance and pylint and expected default installed formatters (with Microsoft Python related extensions), then they should be able to instantly format python files. See #22363 #18743 #22412 also just open ANYTHING in a new vscode or ideally github codespace and try to format a python file.
Author   tyeth
🌐
GitHub
github.com › microsoft › vscode › issues › 200844
Unable to format the code · Issue #200844 · microsoft/vscode
September 13, 2023 - When I press the appropriate key combination and go to the command palette, the command "Format document with" is not displayed, but only "Format document". When following this command, the notification " There is no formatter for "python" files installed" comes, but when the formatter is installed and activated, the code cannot be formatted again.
Author   StasyaChehriy
Find elsewhere
🌐
GitHub
github.com › microsoft › vscode-python › issues › 22563
"Format document" does not work · Issue #22563 · microsoft/vscode-python
October 21, 2023 - Type: Bug Behaviour Expected vs. Actual Expected: Cmd+Shift+P > "Format document" formats the document Actual: "There is no formatter for 'python' files installed." Steps to reproduce: Cmf+Shift+P Format document Diagnostic data Python v...
Author   vzakharov
🌐
Stack Overflow
stackoverflow.com › questions › 78778227 › how-to-make-code-formatting-work-again-for-python-visual-studio-code-on-mac
How to make code formatting work again for Python (Visual Studio Code on Mac)? - Stack Overflow
Top answer
1 of 5
4

Once VSCode Python's format feature came from the python package, VSCode now offers smarter and more customizable extensions.

autopep8 and Black formatter were provided by Microsoft.

Ruff and yapf were provided by community.

Once you install a formatter extension, you can select it as the default formatter for Python files in VS Code by following the steps below:

  1. Open a Python file in VS Code.
  2. Right-click on the editor to display the context menu.
  3. Select Format Document With....
  4. Select Configure Default Formatter... from the drop-down menu.
  5. Select your preferred formatter extension from the list.

You could read document about Formatting in vscode-python for more details.

2 of 5
0
  "[python]": {
    "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
      "source.fixAll": "explicit"
    },
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "charliermarsh.ruff",
    "editor.formatOnSave": true
  }

I use Ruff and those are the settings for python files. For me the editor.codeActionsOnSave did the trick.

🌐
Orchestra
getorchestra.io › guides › black-formatter-not-working-vscode-fixes
Black Formatter Not Working: VSCode Fixes | Orchestra
December 10, 2024 - Before diving into solutions, it's ... Black Formatter might not be functioning in VSCode: Incorrect VSCode Configuration: Sometimes, the issue lies in the way VSCode is configured.
🌐
Code with Mosh
forum.codewithmosh.com › python
Format Document - Python - Code with Mosh Forum
February 5, 2021 - In lesson 1-8 of the python course, I can not use “format document” in the command palette. I have installed many text formatters in VScode, like the suggested ones and XML tools, Json tools. Still, I face below error. C…
🌐
GitHub
github.com › microsoft › vscode-python › issues › 16581
Formatting error pop up when no formatter installed · Issue #16581 · microsoft/vscode-python
June 29, 2021 - As soon as I entered # %% in a python file, I got following error. I am sorry that I am a beginner with this and I have no clue what does this mean. Since the notification is an error I felt there is something wrong with the code. It seems I could write sample python code and run it in interactive window successfully. So I do not know why there is this error pop up. ... area-formattingbugIssue identified by VS Code Team member as probable bugIssue identified by VS Code Team member as probable buginfo-neededIssue requires more information from posterIssue requires more information from poster
Author   sandy081
🌐
YouTube
youtube.com › shorts › disb-i19pcM
VSCode how to format code. There is no formatter for python files installed - YouTube
00:41
Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.
Published   August 29, 2024
🌐
Donjayamanne
donjayamanne.github.io › pythonVSCodeDocs › docs › formatting
Formatting | Python in Visual Studio Code
Code formatting is supported using either one of yapf or autopep8. The default code format provider is autopep8 · Formatting the source code as and when you save the contents of the file is supported. Enabling this requires configuring the setting "editor.formatOnSave": true as identified here
🌐
Stack Overflow
stackoverflow.com › questions › linked › 77283648
Recently active linked questions - Stack Overflow
When I type shift-control-F in VS Code, I get an error message: "There is no formatter for 'python' files installed." I want automatic line alignment.
🌐
freeCodeCamp
forum.freecodecamp.org › python
Python Formatting - Python - The freeCodeCamp Forum
September 27, 2023 - Hello, I’m following the recent Python Tutorial for Beginners (with mini-projects). So my settings are set up just as Dave’s at 29:25, I did everything just like him (except I’m on Mac and not Windows), and when I save or try to manually format the document it isn’t formatting anything, ...
🌐
GitHub
github.com › microsoft › vscode-python › issues › 6495
Format Document not working (autopep8, python, vscode) · Issue #6495 · microsoft/vscode-python
July 8, 2019 - >>> import autopep8 >>> autopep8.__file__ '/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/autopep8.pyc vscode setting: "python.formatting.autopep8Path": "/usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/autopep8.py" Uninstalled all extensions, reloaded.
Author   sanathkumarbs
🌐
DEV Community
dev.to › eegli › quick-guide-to-python-formatting-in-vs-code-2040
Quick Guide to Python Formatting in VS Code (2025) - DEV Community
February 1, 2025 - No need to create dedicated workspace settings for every single project and override the formatter over and over. Here's the relevant config from my settings: { "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode", "[python]": { "editor.defaultFormatter": null }, "python.formatting.blackArgs": ["--line-length", "120"], "python.formatting.provider": "black", }
🌐
InterSystems
community.intersystems.com › post › vscode-formatter-not-found
VSCode: Formatter not found | InterSystems Developer Community
There is only a Format Document option, not a "with" one. ... If all else fails, uninstall all the extensions related to CacheQuality and ObjectScript. Restart VSCode Install the Extension Pack It works.