Practical examples of TypeScript configuration examples for modern projects

Starter-friendly examples of TypeScript configuration examples

Let’s start where most projects begin: a simple tsconfig.json that doesn’t fight you while you’re still learning TypeScript.

// tsconfig.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "strict": false,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "moduleResolution": "node",
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "outDir": "dist"
  },
  "include": ["src"]
}

This first example of tsconfig favors ease of use:

• strict: false keeps the learning curve lower.
• esModuleInterop: true avoids import syntax drama when mixing CommonJS and ES modules.
• skipLibCheck: true makes compilation faster in exchange for trusting third-party type definitions.

For small tools and internal scripts, this is one of the best examples of TypeScript configuration examples that balances speed and simplicity. You still get static typing, but you’re not drowning in red squiggles on day one.

Strict mode examples of TypeScript configuration examples for serious type safety

Once a project grows beyond a toy repo, you usually want stricter guarantees. That’s where strict mode and its friends come in.

// tsconfig.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "strict": true,
    "noImplicitAny": true,
    "strictNullChecks": true,
    "noImplicitThis": true,
    "alwaysStrict": true,
    "exactOptionalPropertyTypes": true,
    "noUncheckedIndexedAccess": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "moduleResolution": "node",
    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "outDir": "dist"
  },
  "include": ["src"]
}

This is a stricter example of TypeScript configuration tailored to catch real bugs:

• strictNullChecks and noUncheckedIndexedAccess force you to handle undefined and out-of-bounds array access.
• exactOptionalPropertyTypes stops you from accidentally treating optional?: string as string | undefined in the wrong places.

Teams that work on safety-critical or financial systems often adopt variants of this. The pattern is clear in mature engineering cultures: they prefer strict examples of TypeScript configuration examples that trade a bit of friction for fewer production incidents.

For a deeper understanding of how static analysis reduces bugs, you can look at work from academic software engineering programs, such as research published via MIT OpenCourseWare or Harvard’s CS courses, which frequently highlight the value of type systems in catching logic errors early.

React + Vite frontend: real examples of TypeScript configuration examples

Modern React apps frequently run on Vite or similar bundlers. The following config assumes a React + Vite stack in 2025.

// tsconfig.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ESNext",
    "module": "ESNext",
    "lib": ["DOM", "DOM.Iterable", "ESNext"],
    "jsx": "react-jsx",
    "moduleResolution": "bundler",
    "allowImportingTsExtensions": false,
    "strict": true,
    "noFallthroughCasesInSwitch": true,
    "noImplicitOverride": true,
    "importsNotUsedAsValues": "error",
    "isolatedModules": true,
    "allowSyntheticDefaultImports": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "noEmit": true,
    "types": ["vite/client"]
  },
  "include": ["src"]
}

Why this works well in a frontend:

• moduleResolution: "bundler" lines up with Vite’s modern module resolution behavior.
• isolatedModules: true makes sure every file can be transpiled in isolation, which bundlers like.
• noEmit: true hands all output responsibility to Vite, while TypeScript just checks types.

For teams shipping design systems or public-facing UIs, this is one of the best examples of TypeScript configuration examples that keeps builds fast while still enforcing solid type discipline.

Node 20+ backend: examples include ESM and CommonJS setups

Node’s ESM story has stabilized, but many codebases still mix module systems. Here’s a realistic TypeScript configuration example for a Node 20+ backend using native ESM.

// package.json
{
  "type": "module"
}

// tsconfig.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2022",
    "module": "NodeNext",
    "moduleResolution": "NodeNext",
    "strict": true,
    "allowSyntheticDefaultImports": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "outDir": "dist",
    "sourceMap": true,
    "declaration": true,
    "noEmitOnError": true
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*.ts"],
  "exclude": ["dist", "**/*.test.ts"]
}

If you’re stuck with CommonJS for legacy reasons, the same project might use this alternative example of configuration:

// tsconfig.cjs.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "moduleResolution": "node",
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "outDir": "dist-cjs"
  },
  "include": ["src"]
}

These paired examples of TypeScript configuration examples are common in libraries that ship dual ESM/CJS builds, especially in ecosystems like Express, Fastify, and NestJS.

Monorepo patterns: examples of shared TypeScript configuration examples

In 2025, many teams are on Turborepo, Nx, or custom monorepos. In that world, repeated tsconfig boilerplate becomes a liability. A shared base config is one of the best examples of TypeScript configuration examples that pay off over time.

Base config at the repo root:

// tsconfig.base.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "ESNext",
    "strict": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "moduleResolution": "node",
    "resolveJsonModule": true,
    "allowJs": false,
    "noEmit": true,
    "forceConsistentCasingInFileNames": true,
    "paths": {
      "@app/*": ["packages/app/src/*"],
      "@shared/*": ["packages/shared/src/*"]
    }
  }
}

Per-package config that extends the base:

// packages/app/tsconfig.json
{
  "extends": "../../tsconfig.base.json",
  "compilerOptions": {
    "jsx": "react-jsx",
    "types": ["vite/client"]
  },
  "include": ["src"]
}

// packages/api/tsconfig.json
{
  "extends": "../../tsconfig.base.json",
  "compilerOptions": {
    "module": "NodeNext",
    "moduleResolution": "NodeNext",
    "outDir": "dist",
    "noEmit": false
  },
  "include": ["src"],
  "exclude": ["dist"]
}

These real examples of TypeScript configuration examples show how extends and paths reduce drift across services. When you decide to bump target or tighten strict options, you do it once at the root instead of in ten separate files.

Library publishing: examples include type declarations and exports

If you publish an npm package, your tsconfig needs to care about consumers, not just your own repo. This example of TypeScript configuration focuses on clean .d.ts output and modern bundlers.

// tsconfig.build.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "ESNext",
    "moduleResolution": "node",
    "declaration": true,
    "declarationMap": true,
    "emitDeclarationOnly": false,
    "outDir": "dist",
    "stripInternal": true,
    "importsNotUsedAsValues": "error",
    "preserveSymlinks": false,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "strict": true,
    "noEmitOnError": true
  },
  "include": ["src"],
  "exclude": ["**/*.test.ts", "**/*.spec.ts", "dist"]
}

Paired with a modern package.json using the exports field, this is one of the best examples of TypeScript configuration examples for libraries that want solid type declarations and predictable tree-shaking.

For background on API design stability and versioning—topics that intersect heavily with library typing—you can find useful guidance in software engineering courses and research from institutions like Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute, which often discuss interface contracts and change management.

Performance-minded examples of TypeScript configuration examples

On large codebases, TypeScript performance becomes a real constraint. You can squeeze more out of tsc with a few targeted options.

// tsconfig.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2020",
    "module": "ESNext",
    "strict": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "incremental": true,
    "tsBuildInfoFile": "./.tsbuildinfo",
    "composite": true,
    "noEmit": true,
    "moduleResolution": "node",
    "allowSyntheticDefaultImports": true,
    "esModuleInterop": true
  },
  "include": ["src"],
  "exclude": ["dist", "node_modules"]
}

Key points in this performance-focused example of TypeScript configuration:

• incremental: true and tsBuildInfoFile let TypeScript reuse prior build information.
• composite: true is required for project references, which are now common in large monorepos.

Teams adopting project references often report significantly faster CI builds and more predictable incremental behavior. The TypeScript team’s own recommendations in the official handbook at typescriptlang.org align with these patterns and are worth reading for deeper technical background.

Strict migration: real examples of TypeScript configuration examples for legacy JS

Many organizations still sit on large JavaScript codebases. A common 2024–2025 trend is gradual migration using allowJs and checkJs.

// tsconfig.json
{
  "compilerOptions": {
    "target": "ES2019",
    "module": "commonjs",
    "allowJs": true,
    "checkJs": true,
    "strict": false,
    "noImplicitAny": false,
    "esModuleInterop": true,
    "skipLibCheck": true,
    "outDir": "dist",
    "allowSyntheticDefaultImports": true
  },
  "include": ["src/**/*"],
  "exclude": ["dist"]
}

Later, once the team is comfortable, they move toward stricter examples of TypeScript configuration examples by flipping strict to true and slowly enabling more options file-by-file. This incremental approach mirrors how large enterprises migrate legacy systems in other languages: start permissive, then ratchet up constraints as confidence grows.

FAQ: short answers with concrete examples

Q: Can you show simple examples of TypeScript configuration examples for a beginner project?
A: A minimal beginner setup usually sets strict: false, target: "ES2020", module: "commonjs", and esModuleInterop: true, while including only the src folder. The first config shown above is a straightforward example of that pattern.

Q: What is an example of a strict tsconfig.json used in production?
A: Many production teams run with strict: true, noImplicitAny: true, strictNullChecks: true, noUncheckedIndexedAccess: true, and exactOptionalPropertyTypes: true. The strict-mode section above shows a real example of this style.

Q: Which examples include settings for React and JSX?
A: Any React project needs jsx: "react-jsx" or jsx: "react-jsxdev", plus DOM libs in lib. The React + Vite example of TypeScript configuration demonstrates a realistic setup for 2025-era React apps.

Q: How do I share configuration across multiple packages in a monorepo?
A: Put common compilerOptions in a tsconfig.base.json at the root, then use extends in each package-level tsconfig.json. The monorepo section above shows real examples of TypeScript configuration examples that use paths and extends effectively.

Q: What’s a good example of a TypeScript configuration for an npm library?
A: For libraries, focus on declaration output: enable declaration, declarationMap, outDir, and stripInternal, and keep strict on. The library publishing section includes a concrete example of that.

If you treat tsconfig.json as a living policy document for your codebase—rather than a mysterious blob to copy from Stack Overflow—you’ll make better decisions. Use these examples of TypeScript configuration examples as starting points, but don’t be afraid to adjust them to fit your stack, your team’s tolerance for strictness, and your performance needs.