A minimal UXP plugin requires at least two files: a configuration manifest and an execution script. Create a new folder on your computer containing:
"id": "com.example.myfirstplugin", "name": "My First UXP Plugin", "version": "1.0.0", "main": "index.html", "host": [ "app": "PS", "minVersion": "22.0.0" ], "manifestVersion": 4, "entrypoints": [ "type": "panel", "id": "myFirstPanel", "label": "default": "UXP Demo Panel" , "minimumSize": "width": 200, "height": 300, "maximumSize": "width": 500, "height": 800 ] Use code with caution. Use code with caution. Step 2: Add the Plugin to UDT Launch the Adobe UXP Developer Tools application. Click the Add Plugin button in the top right corner. Browse to and select your manifest.json file. Your plugin will now appear in the UDT dashboard workspace. Step 3: Connect and Load Launch your host application (e.g., Photoshop). In UDT, locate your plugin under the workspace list.
UXP relies heavily on Spectrum Web Components ( , ). Use the Elements tab to inspect these components, modify their styles in real-time, and verify alignment layout grids. adobe uxp developer tools
The tool provides a clean dashboard to view all your loaded plugins. You can enable, disable, or reload plugins on the fly without restarting Photoshop. This alone saves hours of development time.
For over a decade, developing extensions for Adobe products like Photoshop and Illustrator meant wrestling with proprietary, fragmented technologies: CEP (Common Extensibility Platform), ExtendScript (a quirky ES3-based language), and Flash-based panels. This ecosystem was powerful but slow, insecure, and visually inconsistent. A minimal UXP plugin requires at least two
Once your environment is configured, building your first plugin with UDT takes only a few minutes. 1. Create a Project Directory
This is your primary interface. It allows you to "connect" to your host application (e.g., Photoshop) and point it toward your local development folder. When you save a file in your IDE, UDT can trigger a "Hot Reload," instantly updating the plugin inside Photoshop without a restart. 2. Chrome DevTools Integration Step 2: Add the Plugin to UDT Launch
The Ultimate Guide to Adobe UXP Developer Tools: Building Modern Plugins
For years, the creative and developer communities lived in two different worlds. Designers wanted powerful, automated workflows inside Photoshop, and developers wanted to build them using modern web technologies. But for a long time, they were stuck in the era of CEP (Common Extensibility Platform) and Flash, dealing with clunky panels and outdated JavaScript.
Compile your code into official .ccx formats ready for marketplace distribution or enterprise deployment. 2. Setting Up Your Environment