autosaveit — Auto Save Extension for VS Code

autosaveit is a lightweight, high-performance auto-save extension for Visual Studio Code that automatically saves your files after you stop typing. Built for developers who want reliable, non-intrusive auto-save without impacting performance.

Why autosaveit?

Stop losing work. autosaveit automatically saves your files with a smart debounce timer — no configuration needed, no performance lag, no distractions. Perfect for developers who want the safety of auto-save without the overhead.

Resources

• GitHub: https://github.com/projectsbyayush/autosaveit
• Report Issues: https://github.com/projectsbyayush/autosaveit/issues
• License: MIT

Key Features

• Smart Debounced Auto-Save — Saves files automatically after typing stops (configurable delay, default 1 second)
• Ultra-Lightweight — Uses <0.1% CPU and <5MB RAM; no file watchers, no polling, no background processes
• Status Bar Toggle — Quick enable/disable with one click from the VS Code status bar
• Language Exclusions — Exclude specific languages like Markdown, JSONC from auto-save
• File Pattern Exclusions — Exclude files by pattern (e.g., *.log, node_modules)
• Zero Dependencies — No runtime dependencies, no network calls, no telemetry
• Fully Configurable — Adjust delay, exclusions, and behavior via VS Code settings

Performance Benchmarks

Why so fast? autosaveit uses a single setTimeout timer that resets on each keystroke. No fs.watch, no recursive directory watchers, no background workers. Just one event listener and one timer.

Quick Start

1. Install — Search "autosaveit" in VS Code Extensions Marketplace
2. Open any file in VS Code
3. Type your code
4. Stop typing — file saves automatically after 1 second

That's it. No configuration required.

How It Works

1. You type in any open file
2. autosaveit listens for document changes via onDidChangeTextDocument
3. After you stop typing, a debounce timer starts (default: 1000ms)
4. If you type again before the timer expires, the timer resets
5. When the timer completes, the file is saved automatically
6. Toggle on/off anytime via the status bar or command palette

Commands

Configuration

Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+,) and search for "autosaveit", or add to your settings.json:

Example Configuration

{
  "autosaveit.enabled": true,
  "autosaveit.delay": 1500,
  "autosaveit.excludeLanguages": ["markdown", "jsonc"],
  "autosaveit.excludePatterns": ["*.log", "node_modules"]
}

vs. VS Code Built-in Auto-Save

VS Code has files.autoSave with options: off, afterDelay, onFocusChange, onWindowChange.

Why choose autosaveit?

Bottom line: If you need language/pattern exclusions or predictable timing regardless of window focus, use autosaveit. If basic auto-save is enough, the built-in option works fine.

Installation

From VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)

1. Open VS Code
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+X to open Extensions
3. Search for "autosaveit"
4. Click Install

From VSIX

code --install-extension AyushPatil.autosaveit-1.0.0.vsix

From Source

git clone https://github.com/projectsbyayush/autosaveit.git
cd autosaveit
npm install
npm run compile

Requirements

• VS Code 1.60.0 or higher
• Node.js (for development only)

Keywords

auto-save, autosave, vscode, visual studio code, extension, productivity, code editor, automatic save, debounced save, lightweight, performance, developer tools

License

MIT License - Copyright (c) 2026 Ayush Patil.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome! Feel free to submit issues or pull requests on GitHub.

Support

If you find autosaveit helpful, please ⭐ star the repo on GitHub and rate it on the VS Code Marketplace.