What it does
textlint is a configurable text-checking utility that applies installed rules to Markdown and plain-text files.
Install the rule packages that match the writing standard, initialize the configuration and run textlint on Markdown or plain text. It has no built-in rule set; other input formats depend on plugins. The CLI can report to a chosen formatter or file, and --fix can change source files. Use --dry-run to inspect proposed fixes without writing them. Automation needs the documented exit-code rules: using --output-file can return zero even when lint errors were found. Review the report rather than treating that status alone as a clean result.
Strengths
- Pluggable rules for repeatable checks
- Markdown and plain text supported by default
Watch out for
- Rules and extra-format plug-ins need separate setup
Best for
- Checking a documented writing convention repeatedly
Sources
- textlint - pluggable linting tool for natural language | textlint (Oct 26, 2026)
- Getting Started with textlint (Oct 26, 2026)
- Command Line Interface | textlint (Oct 26, 2026)