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Nx Console Settings Reference

This page provides a complete reference of all configuration settings available for Nx Console. Each setting shows how to configure it in both VSCode and JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ IDEA, WebStorm, etc.).

VSCode Configuration

Section titled “VSCode Configuration”

VSCode uses JSON files for configuration. Settings can be configured at different scopes:

User Settings (global across all workspaces):

  • Apply to all VSCode projects
  • Location: ~/.config/Code/User/settings.json (Linux/macOS) or %APPDATA%\Code\User\settings.json (Windows)
  • Access via: Cmd+, (macOS) or Ctrl+, (Windows/Linux), then click the "Open Settings (JSON)" icon

Workspace Settings (specific to one workspace):

  • Apply only to the current workspace
  • Location: .vscode/settings.json in your workspace root
  • Recommended for team-shared configurations (commit to version control)
  • Override user settings

Learn more about VSCode settings in the official VSCode documentation.

JetBrains IDE Configuration

Section titled “JetBrains IDE Configuration”
JetBrains IDE Configuration

JetBrains IDEs configure Nx Console through the Settings/Preferences UI panel (Settings > Tools > Nx Console) rather than JSON configuration files. Only a subset of VSCode settings are available.

Common Nx Commands

Section titled “Common Nx Commands”

Configure which Nx commands appear in the sidebar view.

Setting: nxConsole.commonNxCommands

Type: array of string

Default: ["run", "run-many", "affected", "affected --graph", "list"]

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.commonNxCommands": ["run", "run-many", "affected", "test", "build"]
}

This setting supports both arbitrary commands and UI-based commands that open dedicated interfaces.

Project Viewing Style

Section titled “Project Viewing Style”

Defines how the Projects view displays entries in the sidebar.

Setting: nxConsole.projectViewingStyle

Type: string (enum)

Options: "list" | "tree" | "automatic"

Default: "automatic"

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.projectViewingStyle": "tree"
}

Options explained:

  • "list": Shows projects as a flat ordered list
  • "tree": Displays projects in a folder/tree structure
  • "automatic": Adaptively switches between list and tree based on workspace structure

Nx Workspace Path

Section titled “Nx Workspace Path”

Specifies the relative path to the Nx workspace root directory.

Setting: nxConsole.nxWorkspacePath

Type: string

Default: undefined

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.nxWorkspacePath": "packages/workspace"
}

Useful when working in a monorepo where the Nx workspace is nested within a larger repository structure.

Enable CodeLens

Section titled “Enable CodeLens”

Controls the visibility of CodeLens features for Nx-specific files.

Setting: nxConsole.enableCodeLens

Type: boolean

Default: true

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.enableCodeLens": false
}

CodeLens provides inline actionable commands directly in your editor for files like project.json and workspace configuration files.

Enable Library Imports

Section titled “Enable Library Imports”

Configures the TypeScript language server plugin to include configured libraries.

Setting: nxConsole.enableLibraryImports

Type: boolean

Default: true

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.enableLibraryImports": true
}

This enables better IntelliSense and autocompletion for library imports in your workspace.

Generator Allowlist

Section titled “Generator Allowlist”

Specifies generator names or wildcard patterns to show in the generator picker.

Setting: nxConsole.generatorAllowlist

Type: array of string

Default: [] (all generators shown)

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.generatorAllowlist": [
    "@nx/react:*",
    "@nx/next:application",
    "@nrwl/workspace:library"
  ]
}

Use the format @package:generator or @package:* for wildcards. When this list is populated, only matching generators will be shown.

Generator Blocklist

Section titled “Generator Blocklist”

Specifies generator names or wildcard patterns to hide from the generator picker.

Setting: nxConsole.generatorBlocklist

Type: array of string

Default: []

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.generatorBlocklist": ["@nx/angular:*", "*:stories"]
}

Useful for removing generators that aren't relevant to your workflow.

Enable Dry Run on Change

Section titled “Enable Dry Run on Change”

Enables automatic dry runs when using the Generate command.

Setting: nxConsole.enableTaskExecutionDryRunOnChange

Type: boolean

Default: true

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.enableTaskExecutionDryRunOnChange": false
}

When enabled, changing generator options triggers a dry run to preview the changes before applying them.

Move Generator Patterns

Section titled “Move Generator Patterns”

Controls which collections' move generators should be used based on project path patterns.

Setting: nxConsole.moveGeneratorPatterns

Type: object

Default: {}

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.moveGeneratorPatterns": {
    "apps/**": "@nx/workspace:move",
    "libs/**": "@custom/generators:move"
  }
}

This is useful when you have multiple generator collections and want to specify which move generator to use for different project types.

Nx Cloud Notifications

Section titled “Nx Cloud Notifications”

Controls which Nx Cloud notifications are displayed.

Setting: nxConsole.nxCloudNotifications

Type: string (enum)

Options: "all" | "errors" | "none"

Default: "all"

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.nxCloudNotifications": "errors"
}

Options explained:

  • "all": Show all Nx Cloud notifications
  • "errors": Only show error notifications
  • "none": Disable all Nx Cloud notifications

Show Node Version on Startup

Section titled “Show Node Version on Startup”

Shows a notification with the Node.js version information when the IDE starts.

Setting: nxConsole.showNodeVersionOnStartup

Type: boolean

Default: false

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.showNodeVersionOnStartup": true
}

Useful for debugging version-related issues, especially when using nvm or similar Node version managers.

MCP Port

Section titled “MCP Port”

Specifies a fixed port for the Nx MCP (Model Context Protocol) server.

Setting: nxConsole.mcpPort

Type: number

Default: undefined (random port)

Configuration:

{
  "nxConsole.mcpPort": 3333
}

Set to 0 to explicitly use a random available port. If not specified, a random port is used by default.

JetBrains Settings Storage

Section titled “JetBrains Settings Storage”

Settings are configured through the IDE's Settings/Preferences panel:

  • macOS: Preferences > Tools > Nx Console or Cmd+,
  • Windows/Linux: Settings > Tools > Nx Console or Ctrl+Alt+S

Settings are stored per project in .idea/workspace.xml or globally in the IDE's configuration directory.

Common Configuration Scenarios

Section titled “Common Configuration Scenarios”

Team Configuration for Specific Framework

Section titled “Team Configuration for Specific Framework”

If your team works primarily with React and Next.js:

Add to .vscode/settings.json:

{
  "nxConsole.generatorAllowlist": [
    "@nx/react:*",
    "@nx/next:*",
    "@nx/workspace:library"
  ],
  "nxConsole.generatorBlocklist": [
    "*:stories",
    "*:cypress-component-configuration"
  ],
  "nxConsole.projectViewingStyle": "tree",
  "nxConsole.enableTaskExecutionDryRunOnChange": true,
  "nxConsole.nxCloudNotifications": "errors"
}

Nested Workspace Setup

Section titled “Nested Workspace Setup”

For monorepos where Nx is nested within a larger repository:

{
  "nxConsole.nxWorkspacePath": "packages/my-workspace"
}

Minimal Noise Configuration

Section titled “Minimal Noise Configuration”

To reduce notifications and automatic behaviors:

{
  "nxConsole.nxCloudNotifications": "errors",
  "nxConsole.enableTaskExecutionDryRunOnChange": false,
  "nxConsole.enableCodeLens": false
}

Settings Availability Matrix

Section titled “Settings Availability Matrix”
SettingVSCodeJetBrains
Common Nx Commands✅❌
Project Viewing Style✅✅
Nx Workspace Path✅✅
Enable CodeLens✅❌
Enable Library Imports✅❌
Generator Allowlist✅✅
Generator Blocklist✅✅
Enable Dry Run on Change✅✅
Move Generator Patterns✅❌
Nx Cloud Notifications✅✅
Show Node Version on Startup✅❌
MCP Port✅❌

See Also

Section titled “See Also”