go vet catches common logical errors and suspicious constructs in Go code such as 1) misuse of printf-style functions with incorrect arguments, 2) unkeyed struct literals that may lead to incorrect field assignments, 3) sending to closed channels which causes panics, 4) ineffective assignments due to value receivers, 5) invalid struct tags like unknown options in JSON tags, 6) unused return values from functions meant to be checked, and 7) variable shadowing in inner scopes; it is run via go vet . or on specific files, integrates into CI/CD, editors, and pre-commit hooks, and is conservative in reporting only high-confidence issues, making it a reliable tool for improving code quality before runtime.
go vet
is a static analysis tool that comes with the Go programming language. It examines Go source code and reports suspicious constructs, such as incorrect function calls, unreachable code, misuse of struct tags, and other common programming mistakes — before you run the program.

It doesn’t catch syntax errors (that’s the compiler’s job), but instead focuses on logical errors and misuse of APIs that might compile fine but lead to bugs at runtime.
What kind of issues does go vet
catch?
Here are some common problems go vet
can detect:

-
Misuse of printf-style formatting functions
For example, passing the wrong number or type of arguments tofmt.Printf
.fmt.Printf("%s", 42) // warns: arg 42 is int, expected string
Unkeyed struct literals
If a struct changes, unkeyed literals can silently assign values to wrong fields.type Person struct { Name string Age int } p := Person{"Bob", 30} // go vet warns: unkeyed field
Use of closed channels
Sending on a closed channel causes a panic;go vet
flags suspicious channel operations.Ineffective assignments
Like assigning to a variable inside a function but not modifying the original (common with methods on value receivers).Struct tag mistakes
Invalid struct tags (e.g., in JSON, XML, or DB tags) are flagged.type User struct { Name string `json:"name"` ID int `json:"id,omitempty,invalid"` // warns: unknown option 'invalid' }
Unused return values
Some functions return values for a reason — ignoring them might be a bug.Shadowed variables
When a variable inside a inner scope has the same name as one in an outer scope, it can lead to confusion.if x := someFunc(); x > 0 { // ... } else { x := 42 // shadows previous x; go vet can warn about this }
How to use go vet
Run it from the command line:
go vet .
This checks all Go files in the current directory and subdirectories.
You can also target specific packages or files:
go vet mypackage/ go vet main.go
For more detailed output, use:
go vet -v .
Integration with workflows
-
CI/CD pipelines: Run
go vet
as part of your build process to catch bugs early. -
IDEs and editors: Tools like VS Code (with Go extension), GoLand, or Vim with plugins often run
go vet
automatically. - Pre-commit hooks: Use it to prevent questionable code from being committed.
Note: go vet
is conservative
It only reports issues it’s very confident about. That means:
- It won’t catch every possible bug.
- But what it does report is usually worth fixing.
Basically, go vet
is like having a helpful coworker who reviews your Go code and points out subtle mistakes you might have missed. It's a quick, reliable way to improve code quality and avoid common pitfalls.
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