Understanding python.analysis.enableColorPicker in Pylance

June 23, 2026 · View on GitHub

Pylance is a fast and feature-rich language server extension for Python in Visual Studio Code, powered by the Pyright static type checker.

The python.analysis.enableColorPicker setting controls whether Pylance shows an inline color picker for hexadecimal color strings in your Python code.

What is python.analysis.enableColorPicker?

When enabled, Pylance recognizes color strings in the #RRGGBB and #RRGGBBAA formats and displays a color swatch next to them. Selecting the swatch opens VS Code's color picker so you can preview and adjust the color visually; the edited value is written back into the string.

This exists to make working with colors more convenient — for example when defining theme values, plot colors, or UI constants — without having to compute hex values by hand.

Type: boolean Default: true Scope: resource (can be set per workspace or folder)

Example

Consider hexadecimal color strings in your code:

BACKGROUND = "#1e1e1e"
ACCENT = "#ff8800cc"   # #RRGGBBAA is also recognized

With the setting enabled (the default), Pylance shows a color swatch next to each of these strings; clicking the swatch opens VS Code's color picker and writes your adjusted value back into the string.

With the setting disabled, no swatch appears and the strings render as plain text.

How to Change python.analysis.enableColorPicker

Using the Settings UI

  1. Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and run Preferences: Open Settings (UI).
  2. Search for python.analysis.enableColorPicker.
  3. Uncheck the box to disable it.

Using settings.json

{
    "python.analysis.enableColorPicker": false
}

When to Use It

  • Keep enabled (the default) if you work with hex color values and want to preview or edit them visually.
  • Disable if you do not use hex colors, or if the swatches add visual noise to your code.

For more information on Pylance settings and customization, refer to the Pylance Settings and Customization documentation.

This document was generated with the assistance of AI and has been reviewed by humans for accuracy and completeness.