Linting is the process of performing static analysis on source code to flag patterns that might cause errors or other problems. It is a type of automated check that analyzes source code for programmatic and stylistic errors. The term "lint" originates from a Unix utility that examined C language source code). A program that performs this function is also known as a "linter"). Linters are available for most programming languages, including JavaScript, CSS, HTML, and Python.

Linting is important to reduce errors and improve the overall quality of code. Using lint tools can help accelerate development and reduce costs by finding errors earlier. Linters can flag potential problems like syntax errors, bugs, stylistic errors, and suspicious constructs). They can also help with code formatting and adhering to language-specific best practices.

Linting tools are typically fit into the development process after writing and compiling the code. The bugs identified by the tool are reviewed, and changes are made to the code to resolve the bugs. Linting can be especially useful for dynamically typed languages like JavaScript and Python, as compilers of such languages typically do not enforce as many and as strict rules prior to execution.