While not a “tool” per se, Adobe provides extensive free documentation, API references, and on GitHub (MIT licensed). These samples cover everything from a simple “Hello World” panel to advanced features like:
| Command | Purpose | |---------|---------| | uxp create | Scaffolds a new plugin from a template (JavaScript, TypeScript, React, Vue, etc.) | | uxp watch | Watches source files and pushes changes to the open Adobe app in real time | | uxp build | Compiles the plugin into a .ccx package for distribution | | uxp list | Shows all plugins currently installed and running | | uxp install | Installs a plugin from a folder into a target Adobe app | adobe uxp developer tools free
To build a UXP plugin, you need four core components: a code editor, the UXP Developer Tool (UDT), Adobe UXP’s own command-line interface (CLI), and documentation. Here is the breakdown of the tools at your disposal. While not a “tool” per se, Adobe provides
Because UXP uses standard web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), developers do not need to learn proprietary Adobe languages. A React, Vue, or Svelte developer can transition to building Adobe plugins with minimal friction. Because UXP uses standard web technologies (HTML, CSS,
If you are still using ExtendScript, you might wonder why you should transition to UXP. The benefits are clear:
: Offers a "Code Playground" where developers can experiment with and test APIs in real-time without needing to build a full project.
For developers who prefer the terminal, Adobe offers a free NPM package: @adobe/uxp-cli . You can install this globally via Node.js (which is also free).
