Let’s be real—being a developer is awesome, but it’s also a lot. You’re juggling a dozen tabs, pushing to GitHub, debugging a CSS bug that only shows up in Firefox 112, and trying to remember which JSON file you left half-edited. And in all of this, time is slipping through your fingers.
That’s where dev shortcuts come in—not just the keyboard ones (though those are clutch), but tools and workflows that seriously reduce the grunt work. You might think you’re doing okay without them, but trust me, once you use the dev shortcuts you never knew you needed, there’s no going back. These tools don’t just make life easier—they do the heavy lifting, so you can focus on what really matters: building cool stuff.
Dev Shortcuts You Never Knew You Needed
Let’s dive into some of the most underrated tools, extensions, and tricks developers are using in 2025 to save time and sanity.
1. Ray.so + Carbon.now.sh = Sexy Snippet Heaven
Ever wanted to share code and have it look like it came straight out of a movie hacker scene? These tools let you turn code snippets into beautiful images in seconds. They’re perfect for social posts, documentation, or slides. Use Ray.so for minimalist elegance, or Carbon.now.sh for deeper customization.
Shortcut power: Instead of screenshotting VS Code and cropping, just copy your code, paste it, pick a theme, and export. That’s it. Looks like you spent time, but you didn’t.
2. Auto Rename Tag (VS Code Extension)
If you write HTML, JSX, or Vue, you know the pain of updating a tag like <section> to <div> and forgetting to fix the closing tag. Oops.
Auto Rename Tag updates the matching tag instantly. You change the opening one, the closing tag follows. It’s one of those “how did I not use this before?” dev shortcuts.
3. Tabnine & GitHub Copilot: AI Pair Programming
AI is no longer the future—it’s the present. Tools like GitHub Copilot and Tabnine suggest whole lines or blocks of code as you type, based on context and past code. They don’t just autocomplete—they anticipate your intent.
Shortcut power: You’re basically writing less than 60% of the code yourself. These assistants guess API calls, class structures, even regex (yes, even that). They save hours of Stack Overflow surfing.
4. Live Share in VS Code
Ever needed to debug with someone but you’re not in the same room—or even the same country? VS Code’s Live Share extension lets you collaborate in real time. It even shares terminals and lets your teammates see what you’re working on.
Shortcut power: Avoid “Can you share screen?” or “Push your code so I can test it” convos. This shortcut gets everyone instantly synced.
5. Postman Snippets + Collections
You already know Postman is great for testing APIs. But have you used snippets and collections to their full potential?
Snippets let you auto-generate code for tests, authentication, and variable handling. Collections let you organize your endpoints by project, with pre-req scripts and environment variables ready.
Shortcut power: Instead of writing curl commands or testing things manually, you create a suite you can run with one click.
6. WakaTime: Track Without Tracking
Ever wondered where your day goes? WakaTime plugs into your IDE and silently tracks what languages, projects, and files you’ve worked on.
It’s a passive time-tracking tool that gives you insights like, “You spent 3 hours on CSS yesterday.” Oof. Maybe it’s time to ask for help.
Shortcut power: Know your blind spots. See which projects or tasks eat most of your time and adjust your workflow.
7. Fig: Terminal Autocomplete on Steroids
Let’s admit it: bash/zsh can be a black box of pain when autocomplete fails you.
Enter Fig—a tool that adds VS Code–like autocomplete to your terminal. It suggests flags, paths, and even git commands. It’s like your shell suddenly got a brain.
Shortcut power: No more Googling “how to git cherry-pick again?” Fig just shows you.
8. Nx and TurboRepo: Monorepo Management Without Crying
Working in a monorepo? Nx and TurboRepo are tools that help manage large-scale projects, cache builds, and avoid redundant rebuilds.
Instead of re-running everything from scratch, they only recompile what’s changed. Game changer.
Shortcut power: 5-minute builds drop to 30 seconds. Your CI/CD pipeline becomes lightning fast.
9. Prettier + ESLint: Style and Error Checks on Save
This combo isn’t new—but it’s still underused. Prettier handles formatting (tabs, semicolons, etc.), while ESLint catches errors or bad practices.
Set them to auto-fix on save, and boom: clean code without manual tweaks.
Shortcut power: Saves you time during PR reviews and keeps your codebase consistent across teams.
10. Responsively App: Visual Device Testing All at Once
Forget opening dev tools and switching between mobile and desktop view. Responsively lets you preview your app on multiple devices simultaneously.
It mirrors interactions across devices, so one scroll or click updates all screens.
Shortcut power: You test responsiveness once, not ten times.
Tools That Do the Heavy Lifting So You Don’t Have To
We all have different dev styles, but most of us fall into the trap of repeating tedious tasks. These dev shortcuts aren’t just about speed—they reduce friction, burnout, and cognitive overload.
Let’s look at a few more tools doing the grunt work so you can focus on creativity and problem-solving.
11. Lighthouse CI + PageSpeed Insights: Continuous Performance Checks
You might run Lighthouse manually now and then. But Lighthouse CI integrates into your CI/CD pipeline. You get performance reports on every commit, automatically.
PageSpeed Insights complements it with real-world metrics.
Shortcut power: You don’t wait until your site feels slow. You catch regressions the moment they happen.
12. Zx by Google: Shell Scripting Without the Bash Weirdness
Bash can be quirky. Zx is a JavaScript-based tool that lets you write scripts using modern syntax—awaits, template literals, and more.
Shortcut power: You write automation scripts faster and cleaner—great for build steps or deploy workflows.
13. Quicktype.io: Convert JSON to Code Instantly
You get a huge JSON from an API and need to define a TypeScript interface. Instead of hand-coding, just paste it into Quicktype.
It outputs interfaces in the language of your choice—ready to use.
Shortcut power: It saves 15–30 minutes per complex response object.
14. ngrok & LocalTunnel: Share Your Localhost Instantly
Need to show your local build to a client or a mobile tester? ngrok creates a public tunnel to your localhost.
Shortcut power: Share URLs instantly without deploying anything.
15. Jira Automation Rules + GitHub Actions
If you’re using Jira and GitHub, you can set rules like: “When a PR is merged with a JIRA tag, close the ticket.” Or “Label stale issues after 30 days.”
Combine this with GitHub Actions for automated testing, deployment, even labeling PRs.
Shortcut power: You stop doing PM tasks manually and let automation handle boring stuff.
How to Build Your Own Dev Shortcut Toolkit
Everyone’s stack is different. But here’s a basic formula to start building your own time-saving setup:
- Audit your friction points. Where do you waste time? Code formatting? Debugging? Deployments?
- Pick tools that fix your bottlenecks. Not every tool is for everyone. Try one or two, measure the time saved.
- Integrate gradually. Don’t overload yourself. Start with one “shortcut” per week.
- Teach your team. Share the wins. A shortcut isn’t just helpful—it’s culture-changing when the whole team adopts it.
Why These Dev Shortcuts Matter in 2025
With AI-driven development, cloud-native apps, and lightning-fast delivery cycles, the margin for slowdowns is getting thinner. You’re expected to move fast, fix bugs, write tests, and still ship on time.
That’s why tools that do the heavy lifting—whether it’s formatting, error catching, or even code suggestion—aren’t just luxuries. They’re survival gear for modern devs.
And that’s the spirit behind this article. We wanted to highlight the dev shortcuts you never knew you needed, because once you try them, you’ll wonder how you ever got by without them.
FAQs
1. What are dev shortcuts?
They’re tools, extensions, or workflows that save developers time by automating or simplifying tasks.
2. Are these shortcuts only for frontend developers?
Nope. Many tools like GitHub Copilot, WakaTime, and Prettier apply across frontend, backend, and full-stack roles.
3. Is it worth using tools like GitHub Copilot or Tabnine?
Yes. They significantly boost productivity, especially in repetitive coding tasks or exploring unfamiliar syntax.
4. Can I use these tools in a team setting?
Absolutely. Many of them (like Live Share, Prettier, and ESLint) are even better when used collaboratively.
5. Will using these tools make me dependent on them?
Not if you understand what they’re doing. Use them to enhance your speed and consistency, not replace your thinking.
