neoclide/coc.nvim · error · Error

Format provider not found for buffer: ${doc.bufnr}

Error message

Format provider not found for buffer: ${doc.bufnr}

What it means

Thrown by documentFormat when no language server registered a document formatting provider for the given buffer. coc cannot format the buffer because no provider handles textDocument/formatting for it.

Source

Thrown at src/handler/format.ts:111

    await doc.applyEdits(edits, false, true)
    this.logProvider(doc.bufnr, edits)
    return true
  }

  public async formatCurrentBuffer(): Promise<boolean> {
    let { doc } = await this.handler.getCurrentState()
    return await this.documentFormat(doc)
  }

  public async formatCurrentRange(mode: string): Promise<number> {
    let { doc } = await this.handler.getCurrentState()
    return await this.documentRangeFormat(doc, mode)
  }

  public async documentFormat(doc: Document): Promise<boolean> {
    await doc.synchronize()
    if (!languages.hasFormatProvider(doc.textDocument)) {
      throw new Error(`Format provider not found for buffer: ${doc.bufnr}`)
    }
    let options = await workspace.getFormatOptions(doc.uri)
    let textEdits = await this.handler.withRequestToken('format', token => {
      return languages.provideDocumentFormattingEdits(doc.textDocument, options, token)
    })
    if (textEdits && textEdits.length > 0) {
      await doc.applyEdits(textEdits, false, true)
      this.logProvider(doc.bufnr, textEdits)
      return true
    }
    return false
  }

  public async handleEnter(bufnr: number): Promise<void> {
    let { nvim } = this
    let { bracketEnterImprove } = this.preferences
    let doc = workspace.getDocument(bufnr)
    if (!doc || !doc.attached) return

View on GitHub (pinned to 50e974d969)

Solutions

1. Install/enable a formatter provider for the filetype (e.g. coc-prettier for js/ts/json)
2. Check the server's capabilities support documentFormattingProvider
3. Use rangeFormat or an external formatter if the server only supports range formatting

Example fix

// before
:CocCommand format # buffer without provider
// after
:CocInstall coc-prettier  # or configure a server with formatting capability for the filetype

// pre-check via coc API surface used internally
const hasProvider = await nvim.call('coc#client#request', ['format']) // or gate on known formatter extensions installed for filetype

try {
  await formatCurrentBuffer();
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.message).includes('Format provider not found')) {
    console.warn('Install a formatter extension for this filetype (e.g. coc-prettier)');
    return false;
  }
  throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: Invoking format (:CocCommand or CocAction format) on a buffer whose filetype has no server with documentFormattingProvider capability, after doc.synchronize() confirms provider absence via languages.hasFormatProvider().

Common situations: Buffer filetype not covered by any installed language server; server running but without formatting capability; formatting extensions (prettier etc.) not installed/enabled for that filetype.

Related errors

• ${id} provider not found for current buffer, your language s
• ${uri} changed before apply edit
• Unable to getCallHierarchyItem at current position
• Action "${action.title}" is disabled: ${action.disabled.reas
• Inlay hint provider not found for current document

AI-assisted analysis of neoclide/coc.nvim@50e974d969 (2026-08-31). Data as JSON: /api/errors/8124427d45d5a919. Report an issue: GitHub.