Firebridge - Firebase Firestore data manager

Stop switching between Firebase Console and your editor. Manage Firestore directly in VS Code.

Firebridge brings the power of Firebase Firestore to your code editor with an intuitive interface that combines the best of spreadsheets, tree explorers, and JSON editors. View, query, edit, and understand your Firestore data—without leaving VS Code.

🌐 Website: https://www.firebridge.app

Why choose Firebridge?

Stay in your editor - No more Firebase Console tab switching

Multiple perspectives - Grid (spreadsheet), Tree (hierarchy), JSON (raw)

Full type support - Timestamps, GeoPoints, References, Bytes—all with dedicated editors

Local development - Works seamlessly with Firestore Emulator

Intuitive queries - Visual query builder + AI natural language support

✨ Three Viewing Modes

Choose the view that fits your workflow:

Feature	Grid View	Tree View (Webview)	Tree View (Sidebar)	JSON View
Best for	Spreadsheet-style bulk edits	Exploring nested structures	Quick navigation	Raw data & power users
Editing	Inline cell editing	Direct field editing	Click to expand	Full JSON control
Performance	⚡ Fastest for many fields	🌳 Best for hierarchies	Best for speed	💻 No overhead
Pagination	100 docs max	100 docs max	10 docs max	N/A
Arrays	Shows count	Expandable	Limited view	Full control
Subcollections	Not visible	Navigate directly	Navigate directly	Manual paths

Grid View Tree View JSON View

📊 Built-In CRUD Operations

✅ Create - New documents with type-aware fields and auto-generation
✅ Read - Browse, search, filter, sort, and export to JSON/CSV
✅ Update - Inline editing with real-time validation and copy-paste
✅ Delete - Collections and documents with confirmation
✅ Bulk Operations - Select multiple documents for batch updates
✅ Export/Import - Copy entire documents or export as JSON for version control

🔍 Visual Query Builder

No more struggling with Firestore query syntax.

✨ Features:

Type-aware field selectors
Visual query builder interface
Optional: Natural language via Copilot Chat
Index Management - Get direct links to create missing composite indexes when needed
Automatic Index Detection - Tells you exactly which index you need for complex queries

🚀 Built for Developers

🤖 AI-Powered Queries (Optional)

Natural language queries via @firebridge agent in Copilot Chat
Example: "@firebridge Show me users who signed up last week"
Automatic TypeScript/JavaScript code generation from natural language

💻 Multi-Language Code Generation

Auto-generate Firestore query code in multiple languages:
- Web: TypeScript, JavaScript, Python
- Mobile: Dart (Flutter), Swift, Kotlin
- Backend: Java, C#, Go, Rust, PHP, Ruby
Perfect for scaffolding and documentation
Copy code snippets for immediate use in your app

⚡ Developer-Friendly

Firestore Emulator support for local development
Multi-database management
Firebase Admin SDK integration
Support for most common Firestore data types

📚 Supported Data Types

All standard Firestore types with dedicated editors:

Type	Editor	Example
String	Text input	`"Hello"`
Number	Numeric input	`42`, `3.14`
Boolean	Toggle	`true` / `false`
Timestamp	📅 Date/Time picker with microsecond precision	`2025-01-30T14:30:45.123456Z`
GeoPoint	🗺️ Map selector with lat/long input	`(37.77, -122.42)`
Reference	🔗 Path selector with document browser	`users/john_doe`
Bytes	🔐 Hex editor with text conversion	`48656C6C6F`
Array	Expandable list	`[1, "two", true]`
Map	Nested object tree	`{ key: value }`
Null	Empty value	`null`

🎯 Common Use Cases

🏢 Content Management

Browse published articles, edit metadata, manage release dates—all without leaving your code editor.

👥 User Management

View user profiles, update status fields, export lists for analytics or email campaigns.

📦 E-commerce

Manage products, inventory, and orders. Filter by status or date range with visual query builder.

⚙️ Configuration

Edit app settings, feature flags, and system configuration in real-time with type validation.

🚀 Quick Start (3 Minutes)

Step 1️⃣ - Install

Search "Firebridge" in VS Code Extensions and click Install.

Step 2️⃣ - Connect Your Firebase Account

Get a service account from Firebase Console:

Go to Project Settings → Service Accounts
Click Generate new private key
Save the JSON file

Step 3️⃣ - Configure & Go

# Open VS Code Settings (Ctrl+, or Cmd+,)
# Search "Firebridge"
# Set firebridge.serviceAccountPaths to your JSON file
# Reload the window (Cmd+R / Ctrl+R)

Done! Click the Firebridge icon in the Activity Bar to start browsing your database.

💡 Local Development? Use the Firestore Emulator instead of a service account. See Full User Guide for setup.

📋 Comparison: Before & After

Without Firebridge ❌

Open Firebase Console in browser
Tab-switch between Console and VS Code
Limited editing (mostly copy/paste JSON)
No query builder - manual syntax
Data types displayed as raw objects
Slow iteration loop

With Firebridge ✅

One window - everything in VS Code
Edit inline with dedicated field editors
Visual query builder with type validation
Smart field editors for dates, locations, references
See what you're editing instantly
10x faster iteration

📖 Complete Documentation

For detailed guides on:

Supported data types (Timestamps, GeoPoints, References, Bytes, etc.)
Editing different field types with interactive editors
Advanced features (query builder, emulator, code generation)
Limitations and known issues (phantom documents, collection groups)
Troubleshooting and debugging tips

👉 View the Full User Guide

⚙️ Configuration

All settings are available in VS Code Settings (search "Firebridge"):

Setting	Default	Description
`serviceAccountPaths`	`[]`	Path(s) to Firebase service account JSON
`useEmulator`	`false`	Connect to local Firestore emulator
`emulatorHost`	`localhost`	Emulator host
`emulatorPort`	`8080`	Emulator port
`queryLimit`	`100`	Max documents per query (1-10000)
`treeViewLimit`	`10`	Max documents per collection in tree
`pagination.pageSize`	`100`	Documents per page (10-1000)
`debugMode`	`false`	Enable detailed logging

Using the Firestore Emulator

Perfect for local development:

# Start the emulator
firebase emulators:start --only firestore --project demo-project

Then in VS Code Settings:

firebridge.useEmulator: true
firebridge.emulatorProjectId: demo-project
Reload the window

💡 Pro Tips

Speed up your workflow:

Use Grid View for bulk edits - Faster than clicking individual cells
Keyboard shortcuts - Learn the keyboard navigation for faster browsing
Query builder - Build once, modify incrementally instead of rewriting
Emulator - Test destructive operations safely in local development
Export/Import - Use JSON format for version control of seeds/configs

❓ Troubleshooting

Having issues? Check the Full User Guide for comprehensive troubleshooting steps, including:

Service account connection errors
Emulator connectivity issues
Performance optimization
Debug mode for detailed logging

🐛 Known Limitations

Phantom Documents

Documents with subcollections but no data don't appear in queries (Firestore limitation). Use the Firebase Console to delete them if needed. Coming soon in Firebridge.

Collection Groups

Cross-collection queries (querying all collections with the same name at different levels) aren't currently supported. Query each collection separately or use the Firebase Console. Planned for future release.

Query Type Support

Not all field types are queryable. String, Number, Boolean, Timestamp, and Array fields support filtering. GeoPoint, Reference, Bytes, and Map fields require workarounds—see the Full User Guide for alternatives.

Real-Time Updates

Data updates require manual refresh. Real-time listeners are planned for future releases.

Firestore Indexes

Some queries with multiple filters or sorting require Firestore indexes. When needed, Firebridge provides a direct link to create the index in Firebase Console. See the Full User Guide for detailed index guidance.

Timestamp Precision

Firebridge supports microsecond precision (6 decimal places) for timestamps. Nanoseconds (7-9 decimal places) are displayed but not preserved when editing, as Firestore's precision limit is microseconds.

For more details on limitations and workarounds, see the Full User Guide.

🔒 Security & Privacy

🗺️ Active Development

Firebridge is rapidly evolving. We're working on:

Smarter query building with type validation and field selectors
Enhanced document editing including field deletion and server timestamps
Bulk operations for manipulating data in bulk
Real-time listeners for live data updates

View the full roadmap →

🔒 Security

Firebridge uses Firebase Admin SDK for secure database access
Your service account credentials are stored locally in VS Code settings
No data is sent to third-party servers
Compatible with service accounts that have least-privilege IAM roles

🌟 Roadmap

Here's what we're building next:

Coming Soon

✨ Server Timestamps - Auto-generate createdAt and updatedAt fields
✨ Field Deletion - Remove individual fields without affecting document data
✨ Query Improvements - Better type validation, clause toggles, and reordering
✨ JSON Import - Bulk import data from JSON files
✨ Real-time Updates - Get instant notifications when data changes
✨ AI-Powered Query Building - More intelligent query modifications and explanations
✨ Phantom Document Detection - Identify and manage orphaned subcollections

Under Consideration

Real-time listeners
Collection group queries (cross-collection queries)
Batch operations and transactions
Advanced exports (CSV, JSON, Parquet)
Composite index suggestions
Multi-database transactions
Document version history

Want a feature? See the full Roadmap & Backlog or open an issue!

📧 Support & Community

📖 Full User Guide - Deep dive documentation
🐛 Report Issues - Bug reports and feature requests
💬 Feedback - We'd love to hear how you're using Firebridge!

📄 Release Notes

1.0.1 (Current Release)

Fixes & Improvements

Fixed broken Marketplace listing screenshots and documentation links
Corrected base content URLs to resolve relative links through https://www.firebridge.app
Updated extension manifest license field from UNLICENSED to reference LICENSE.txt
Aligned extension display name with marketplace description for consistency
Improved documentation sync workflow between MARKETPLACE.md, README.md, and CHANGELOG.md

Features

Browse Firestore with interactive Tree View
Three viewing modes: Grid, Tree, and JSON
Full CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
Visual Query Builder with WHERE and ORDER BY clauses
Support for all Firestore data types
Firestore Emulator support for local development
Multi-database management
Type-aware field editors (Timestamps, GeoPoints, References, Bytes)

Supported Environments

Production Firestore databases (via service account)
Local Firestore Emulator
Multi-database setups

License & Legal

License - Proprietary license terms
Privacy Policy - How we handle your data
Terms of Service - Terms and conditions

Disclaimer: Not officially affiliated with Google or Firebase. Use at your own risk in production environments. Always test in a development environment first and keep backups of important data.