Pretty Go Errors turns dense Go diagnostics into clearer, structured VS Code hovers so you can understand the actual problem faster.
If you regularly stop to mentally unpack gopls or compiler output, this extension shortens that step without hiding the original message.
Why install it
Pulls useful parts of common Go diagnostics into named fields
Keeps the original diagnostic at the bottom of the hover for verification
Works automatically when you open Go files with diagnostics
Stays lightweight and focused on hover clarity rather than adding a full sidebar workflow
Pretty Go Errors was inspired by the value provided from Pretty TypeScript Errors. Check them out if you use TypeScript too!
Before and after
Raw diagnostic:
cannot use value (value of type *bytes.Buffer) as io.Reader value in assignment: *bytes.Buffer does not implement io.Reader (missing method Read)
Pretty Go Errors hover:
Type mismatch
Actual type: *bytes.Buffer
Expected type: io.Reader
Missing method: Read
Original diagnostic
cannot use value (value of type *bytes.Buffer) as io.Reader value in assignment: *bytes.Buffer does not implement io.Reader (missing method Read)
What it improves today
Type mismatch diagnostics such as cannot use ... as ...
Missing identifier diagnostics such as undefined: ...
Call argument count diagnostics such as too many arguments in call ...
Diagnostics coming from gopls, compiler, go list, go test, and syntax
Current scope
Hover formatting for Go diagnostics only
Rule-based formatting for common high-friction messages
Original raw diagnostic preserved in every formatted hover
Usage
Install the extension.
Open a Go file that has diagnostics.
Hover the underlined code to see the formatted explanation.
