Switch to Photoshop. You will see your new panel appear under . Deep Dive: Debugging with UXP Developer Tools
Access a debugger based on Chrome DevTools , allowing you to set breakpoints, inspect the DOM, and view console logs directly within the plugin.
Writing code and restarting your application to see changes is a thing of the past. UDT includes a powerful file-watching mechanism. When you enable "Watch" mode, UDT monitors your project directory for code edits. The moment you save a file in your IDE, the tool automatically reloads the plugin inside the Adobe host application. 3. Integrated Chrome DevTools Debugging adobe uxp developer tools
: Connects your development environment to applications like Photoshop.
Once your plugin is loaded into the host application via UDT: Switch to Photoshop
Before diving into the tools, it's helpful to understand the platform they serve. The Unified Extensibility Platform (UXP) is Adobe’s next-generation framework for building plugins and integrations. It represents a significant evolution from the older Common Extensibility Platform (CEP). Unlike CEP, which relied on Chromium Embedded Framework (CEF) and synchronous APIs that could block the host application's user interface, UXP is built on a modern JavaScript engine and uses asynchronous APIs. This means your plugin's operations won't freeze Photoshop or Premiere Pro, leading to a smoother user experience. It supports modern ES6+ JavaScript syntax, including async/await , and is positioned as the strategic, long-term direction for plugin development across the Creative Cloud ecosystem. For new panel development in 2026, UXP is the recommended path for Photoshop and InDesign, and while CEP is still available for some applications like Illustrator, the migration to UXP is unmistakable.
Which (Photoshop, InDesign, or Illustrator) are you targeting? Writing code and restarting your application to see
The brain of your plugin. It defines the plugin's metadata, required permissions (like network access or local file system access), the minimum host application version, and the entry points for your UI panels or background scripts.
Once your plugin is ready, UDT simplifies the process of packaging and sharing it.
Needed for managing dependencies and utilizing advanced scaffolding tools. Installation Steps: Open the Creative Cloud Desktop application.