go-tool

Go Tool Dependency Management

Manage Go development tool dependencies using the tool directive introduced in Go 1.24. This ensures reproducible builds by tracking tool versions in go.mod — eliminating the old tools.go workaround and version drift across developers and CI.

For detailed per-tool information, see the reference catalog.

When to Use

• A Go project needs external code generation or build tools
• Indicator files suggest a tool should be added (.templ, .proto, sqlc.yml, etc.)
• The user explicitly requests adding a Go tool dependency
• Auditing existing tool dependencies for consistency or cleanup
• Migrating from tools.go pattern to the native tool directive

Prerequisites

Before proceeding, verify:

1. go.mod exists: Check for go.mod in the project root. Abort if missing.
2. Go version ≥ 1.24: Read the go directive in go.mod. If the version is below 1.24, inform the user: "The Go tool directive requires Go 1.24+. Update the go directive in go.mod to 1.24 or later."

Workflow: Detect Recommended Tools

Scan the project for indicator files and compare against existing tool declarations in go.mod.

Step 1: Read Existing Tools

Parse go.mod for the tool block to identify already-tracked tools.

Step 2: Scan for Indicator Files

Use Glob to detect files that suggest specific tools:

Indicator	Tool	Module Path
sqlc.yml / sqlc.yaml / sqlc.json	sqlc	github.com/sqlc-dev/sqlc/cmd/sqlc
**/*.templ	templ	github.com/a-h/templ/cmd/templ
**/*.proto + (buf.yaml or buf.gen.yaml)	buf	github.com/bufbuild/buf/cmd/buf
swagger.yaml / swagger.json	swag	github.com/swaggo/swag/cmd/swag
openapi.yaml / openapi.json	oapi-codegen	github.com/oapi-codegen/oapi-codegen/v2/cmd/oapi-codegen
**/*.css with @tailwind or @apply	gotailwindcss	github.com/gotailwindcss/tailwind/cmd/gotailwindcss
//go:build wireinject in Go source	wire	github.com/google/wire/cmd/wire
For stringer and enumer, detection requires context: const blocks with iota patterns. These are best suggested when the user is working with enum-like types.

Step 3: Report Findings

Present a table comparing detected recommendations against existing tools:

Tool	Status	Reason
templ	Missing	.templ files found but tool not in go.mod
sqlc	Present	Already tracked in go.mod

Workflow: Add Tool

Step 1: Install

go get -tool <module-path>@latest

Replace @latest with a specific version if the user requests one.

Step 2: Tidy

go mod tidy

Step 3: Verify

go tool <tool-name> --help

Confirm the tool runs without error.

Step 4: Suggest go:generate Directive

Based on the tool, suggest the appropriate //go:generate directive. See the reference catalog for canonical directives per tool.

General pattern:

//go:generate go tool <name> <args>

Place the directive in the file closest to the generated output.

Workflow: Remove Tool

Step 1: Remove from go.mod

go get -tool <module-path>@none

Step 2: Tidy

go mod tidy

Step 3: Clean Up

Search for and remove any //go:generate directives that reference the removed tool:

Grep for: //go:generate go tool <name>

Workflow: Audit Tools

Step 1: List Declared Tools

Parse the tool (...) block from go.mod.

Step 2: Cross-Reference with Source

For each declared tool, search for //go:generate go tool <name> in Go source files.

Step 3: Report

Tool	In go.mod	Has go:generate	Status
sqlc	Yes	Yes	OK
moq	Yes	No	Possibly unused
templ	No	Yes	Missing from go.mod

go:generate Best Practices

1. Always use go tool <name> in directives — not a direct binary path. This ensures the version pinned in go.mod is used.
2. Place directives near generated output — in the package that owns the generated code.
3. Run all generators: go generate ./...
4. Commit generated code to version control so builds don't require running generators.
5. One directive per tool invocation — avoid chaining multiple tools in a single directive.

Non-Go Tools

The go tool directive only supports tools written in Go. For non-Go tools (Node.js, Rust, Python), use alternative management:

• Taskfile.yml or Makefile for running non-Go tools
• Docker for tools with complex dependencies

Exception: For Tailwind CSS, use gotailwindcss — a pure Go implementation that works with go get -tool. See the reference catalog for details.

Error Handling

Condition	Action
No go.mod found	Abort: "Not a Go module — no go.mod found. Run go mod init first."
Go version < 1.24	Abort: "Go tool directive requires Go 1.24+. Update the go directive in go.mod."
go get -tool fails	Display error. Common causes: invalid module path, network issues, module not found.
Tool already in go.mod	Skip: "Tool already tracked in go.mod." Suggest verifying version if needed.
go tool <name> fails after install	Check go mod tidy was run. Verify the module provides a binary at the expected path.