Enable and use DevTools in Microsoft Edge

If you develop for the web, DevTools are your Swiss Army knife.: inspect the DOM and styles, debug JavaScript, measure performance, and even emulate mobile devices without leaving the browser. Microsoft EdgeThese utilities come integrated as Microsoft Edge DevTools and enable a very agile workflow to locate and correct problems on the fly.

In this guide you go straight to the important thing: How to open DevTools in Edge with shortcuts and menus, what each tab offers, how to customize the interface, Tricks Network and console tools to detect bottlenecks or errors, and how to integrate them with Visual Studio Code. You'll also find practical recommendations for performance, accessibility, and responsive testing based on real-world workflows.

What are Edge DevTools and why do you care?

Microsoft Edge DevTools is the set of development tools built into the browser. that appears next to the loaded page. From there, you can inspect HTML/CSS, debug JavaScript with breakpoints, view network traffic, analyze memory and performance, and even edit files and sync them to the file system when setting up a workspace.

What you can do regularly: Review and modify live styles, check where each resource (.html, .css, .js, .png) is stored and loaded, emulate devices and network conditions, investigate accessibility, compatibility, and security issues, and debug the frontend with an interactive console that accepts expressions in the current context.

In addition to Edge, other browsers include DevTools (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Opera) with equivalent functions for inspection, console, network, and debugging. The shortcuts are generally the same: F12 or Ctrl+Shift+I (Cmd+Option+I on macOS), then right-clicking on an element and selecting "Inspect."

To learn even more, combines the official documentation (Microsoft Learn, MDN Web Docs) with tutorials and videos. You'll find step-by-step guides, examples, and advanced details to master each panel.

How to open DevTools in Microsoft Edge

There are several quick ways to open the tools, and the one you choose can influence which panel appears first. Here are the most useful shortcuts for everyday use.

Main methods to open: Right-click anywhere on the page and “Inspect” (opens Elements with the node highlighted), F12, or Ctrl+Shift+I (Cmd+Option+I on macOS) to reopen the last-used tool or the Welcome screen if it’s your first time.

Action	What opens
Right click > Inspect	Elements with the DOM expanded on the selected node
Ctrl + Shift + I (or Cmd+Option+I)	Last used tool or welcome screen
F12	Last used tool or welcome screen

Very practical additional forms: From the Edge menu under “Settings & more > More tools > Developer tools”; direct console shortcuts (Ctrl+Shift+J / Cmd+Option+J) or item selection (Ctrl+Shift+C / Cmd+Option+C). Shift+F10 opens the keyboard context menu and lets you choose Inspect.

Action	Panel you will see
Edge Menu > More Tools > Developer Tools	Last tool used or welcomed
Ctrl + Shift + J (Cmd+Option+J)	Console
Ctrl + Shift + C (Cmd+Option+C)	Elements with a focus on
Shift + F10 and select “Inspect”	Elements with the tree expanded

Shortcuts that speed up your flowF12 opens/closes DevTools, Ctrl+R reloads while keeping them visible, and Ctrl+Shift+C activates the element selector. Remember, you can navigate with Tab to focus the page and then open the context menu with Shift+F10.

Make DevTools open automatically in each tab: Edge launches with the brand --auto-open-devtools-for-tabs. For example in Windows: start msedge --auto-open-devtools-for-tabs; In PowerShell: Start-Process -FilePath msedge -ArgumentList --auto-open-devtools-for-tabs; on macOS: /Applications/Microsoft\ Edge.app/Contents/MacOS/Microsoft\ Edge --auto-open-devtools-for-tabs; In Linux: microsoft-edge --auto-open-devtools-for-tabs.

Important with the Boot- If you have startup optimization enabled, disable it in edge://settings/system for the shortcut to work; you can also disable F12 from opening DevTools in the same section if you don't want that shortcut to work.

Interface, layout and customization

• The DevTools UI is organized into two main areas: The activity bar (top or left) and the Quick Look panel (bottom, with Esc). The activity bar concentrates access to tools, settings, and documentation; Quick Look allows you to open a second tool in parallel.
• You can dock DevTools to the right, left, or bottom, or open them in a separate window. Change the location from the “Customize and Control DevTools” menu, or with commandsThe activity bar can be at the top (horizontal), to the left (vertical), or automatically adapt to the dock.
• Independent zoom for DevTools and the page: Make sure you focus on the desired area and use Ctrl + / – (Cmd on macOS) to zoom in/out, or Ctrl+0 to reset. From the command menu, search for “zoom” to perform “Zoom In,” “Zoom Out,” or “Reset Zoom Level.”
• Pinned and reorderable toolsElements, Console, and Sources are fixed, but you can add the rest from "More Tools." If you're short on space, some are grouped under that menu. Right-click on a tab to remove it or move it to Quick View and vice versa.

Task	How to do it
Open a tool in the activity bar	“More tools” in the activity bar and select the desired one
Open a tool in Quick Look	Press Esc, “More Tools” in the bottom bar and choose the tool
Move between top bar and Quick View	Right click on the tool tab and choose move up/down
Invoke any panel by name	Ctrl+Shift+P (Cmd+Shift+P) and type “Show ”

The command menu is your universal shortcut (Ctrl+Shift+P): Show or hide panels, run actions, and change settings without navigating through menus. Use it, for example, to open “Changes” when tweaking CSS in Elements.

Adjustments and experimentsIn Settings (F1), change the theme, language, shortcuts (there's a Visual Studio Code-style preset), limited network profiles, mock locations, and devices. In Experiments, enable preview features, and if you want the latest features, install Edge Canary.

Key tools and real-life use cases

• Elements: Inspection with superposition of the box model. Activate the inspect button to hover over the page and see dimensions, padding, and margins with colors. Edit HTML and CSS on the fly, force :hover/:active/:focus states, and detect inheritance or specificity conflicts.
• CSS editor with extra utilities: Enable/disable declarations with a checkbox, display shorthand properties to view their components, add new rules, and jump to the source file/line. In the associated tabs, you'll find "Calculated," "Layout/Box Model/Grids," and "Sources" (depending on the browser) to view final values ​​and geometries.
• Console: immediate execution and diagnosisFilter messages, evaluate expressions in real time, and combine it with the debugger to inspect the state when the code is paused. Buttons like "pause on exceptions" guide you to the problematic line; step-by-step controls help you understand the flow.
• Debugger/Sources: Breakpoints and Readable Code. Set breakpoints, watch variables, check the Call Stack and Scopes. If the code is minified, use the curly braces icon. {} to “prettify” it and turn it into a navigable tree.
• Network: X-ray of requests and performanceOpen the Network tab, reload, and review the essential columns: Size (optimizes images and minifies CSS/JS), Time (server and distance influences this), and Cascade (loading order and duration). Right-click to customize the columns, and in the footer, check "Finish" for the total.
• Practical performance tips: Measure first on mobile without caching and aim for a reasonable benchmark of 2 to 4 seconds; on desktop, repeat both without and with caching. Minify CSS/JS to reduce bulk, and group each type into a single file whenever possible to reduce the number of requests (tools like Closure Compiler help).
• Performance and Memory: Log profiles to find bottlenecks, costly layouts, and time-consuming tasks. A faster site retains users, improves performance, and improves productivity. SEO and it usually converts better. In Memory, it finds leaks and objects that shouldn't be left alive.
• Application and storage: Inspects and edits cookies, localStorage, IndexedDB, and caches. Useful for debugging sessions, flags, or persistence policies.
• Device and network emulation: Switch to mobile mode, adjust viewport and DPI, and simulate 3G/4G or connectivity losses. Test realistic UX without leaving your desktop.
• Debugging cases with console and debugger: Pause, trigger the error, and Edge will guide you to the exact line. Use the "step" buttons to follow the flow and correct variables from the console to instantly validate solutions.
• Inspecting Ads with DevTools: in Network filter by ads? to see if your page is issuing requests. A 403 usually indicates policies or an unapproved site; a 200 with no display indicates security issues. ads.txt. If you see ERR_BLOCKED_BY_CLIENT, probably a blocker is preventing downloading adsbygoogle.jsTypical validation errors include messages such as: adsbygoogle.push() error: Fluid responsive ads must be at least 250px wide: availableWidth=0.
• Shortcuts and menus in other browsersIn Firefox, Inspector/Debugger/Console are under “Web Developer”; in Safari, activate the Develop menu from Preferences > Advanced. The usage philosophy is similar to Edge and Chrome.
• News with IA in chrome: The “Console insights” feature explains console errors, suggests causes, and possible solutions. It is activated in Settings > “AI innovations” and requires an English browser, being over 18 years old, and an active session. Google with sync. Edge has similar tools for explaining messages, and it's worth reviewing the privacy implications: some browser and site data may be used to improve models; you have control over these options.

Notes on privacy noticesPlatforms like Reddit display cookie and policy banners that can affect the loading of scripts or resources until you agree. If something doesn't work in your tests, check to see if consent is blocking requests.

Edge DevTools inside Visual Studio Code

The “Microsoft Edge Tools” extension integrates DevTools into VS Code with an embedded browser (Edge DevTools: Browser) and tool tabs (Elements, Console, etc.). You can open a local page, launch an instance without debugging, or start a project with configuration.

• Direct option for HTML files: In the VS Code Explorer, right-click on a .html and choose “Open with Edge > Open browser with DevTools.” You’ll see the DevTools in debug mode next to the rendered page and the bar with typical controls (pause, step, restart).
• Start instance (no debugging)- Open the “Microsoft Edge Tools” view in the activity bar and tap “Launch Instance.” Edge DevTools and Edge DevTools: Browser will open, displaying a home page. In the address bar of the embedded browser, paste a local path or URL (e.g., http://localhost:8080).
• Launch project (with launch.json): If your folder requires a server, create the launch file with “Generate launch.json” and edit the “url” keys with your address (e.g. http://127.0.0.1:8080). Save and use “Start Project” to open the app directly with DevTools embedded.
• File mapping and mirror editing of CSS- When DevTools can map downloaded resources to your open folder, CSS changes in Elements are reflected in the local source files. If there's no matching folder or trust granted, uncheck the Mirror Edit box to experiment without errors, or open the correct folder and mark it as safe.
• Differences between URLs and file pathsWith local paths, the editor immediately knows where to write; with remote URLs, you need to open the folder containing the equivalent sources to enable the mirror. Otherwise, you'll be able to inspect and edit "live," but without persisting.
• Close instances when you're done: From the tab (the “x” icon), from the “Targets” section in the extension, or by stopping debugging if it’s active. You can also close the folder or the VS Code window to end all sessions.
• Something worth remembering: The “Edge DevTools: Browser” tab includes its own device emulation bar, useful for viewing mobile states without leaving VS Code, and you can open files (such as .js) from Explorer while debugging to make corrections on the fly.
• All of the above leaves you with a solid workflow: Quickly open, inspect, measure, debug, and customize the interface to your liking. If you also integrate with VS Code, you can iterate with local editing and mapping. And if you work with ads or APIs, the Network tab and Console give you the exact location of each issue.