diff --git a/.github/assets/cookiecutter-scverse-instance.json b/.github/assets/cookiecutter-scverse-instance.json
index 41f7a2a6..03a58b5f 100644
--- a/.github/assets/cookiecutter-scverse-instance.json
+++ b/.github/assets/cookiecutter-scverse-instance.json
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
         "github_user": "scverse",
         "github_repo": "cookiecutter-scverse-instance",
         "license": "BSD 3-Clause License",
+        "ide_integration": true,
         "_copy_without_render": [
             ".github/workflows/**.yaml",
             "docs/_templates/autosummary/**.rst"
diff --git a/.prettierrc.yaml b/.prettierrc.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..e96d1dd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.prettierrc.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+overrides:
+  # JSON with comments and trailing commas
+  - files: "**/*.vscode*/*.json"
+    options:
+      parser: json5
+      quoteProps: preserve
+      singleQuote: false
diff --git a/cookiecutter.json b/cookiecutter.json
index cf40b568..87b4324a 100644
--- a/cookiecutter.json
+++ b/cookiecutter.json
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
         "GNU General Public License Version 3",
         "Unlicense"
     ],
+    "ide_integration": true,
     "_copy_without_render": [
         ".github/workflows/build.yaml",
         ".github/workflows/test.yaml",
diff --git a/hooks/post_gen_project.py b/hooks/post_gen_project.py
index c3191de3..3f1f79ee 100644
--- a/hooks/post_gen_project.py
+++ b/hooks/post_gen_project.py
@@ -1,12 +1,27 @@
 #!/bin/env python3
+import shutil
 from subprocess import run
-{% if not cookiecutter._render_devdocs %}
 from pathlib import Path
 
+{% if not cookiecutter._render_devdocs %}
 # Post processing
 Path("docs/template_usage.md").unlink()
 {% endif %}
 
+# Skip directories marked for skipping
+def skipped_dirs():
+    for toplevel in Path().iterdir():
+        if toplevel.name == ".git":
+            continue
+        if toplevel.name == "DELETE-ME":
+            yield toplevel
+        else:
+            yield from toplevel.rglob("DELETE-ME")
+
+for path in skipped_dirs():
+    assert path.is_dir(), path
+    shutil.rmtree(path)
+
 # Update pre commit hooks
 run("pre-commit autoupdate -c .pre-commit-config.yaml".split(), check=True)
 run("pre-commit install".split(), check=True)
diff --git a/scripts/tests/test_build.py b/scripts/tests/test_build.py
index e8d00fb4..698cd32a 100644
--- a/scripts/tests/test_build.py
+++ b/scripts/tests/test_build.py
@@ -18,14 +18,21 @@
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     ("params", "path", "pattern"),
     [
-        ({}, "docs/conf.py", r'"github_repo": project_name,'),
-        ({"github_repo": "floob"}, "docs/conf.py", r'"github_repo": "floob",'),
+        pytest.param({}, "docs/conf.py", r'"github_repo": project_name,', id="no_gh_repo"),
+        pytest.param({"github_repo": "floob"}, "docs/conf.py", r'"github_repo": "floob",', id="gh_repo"),
+        pytest.param({}, ".vscode/extensions.json", r'"ms-python.python",', id="no_ide_integ"),
+        pytest.param({"ide_integration": False}, ".vscode", None, id="ide_integ"),
     ],
 )
-def test_build(tmp_path: Path, params: Mapping[str, Any], path: Path | str, pattern: re.Pattern | str):
+def test_build(tmp_path: Path, params: Mapping[str, Any], path: Path | str, pattern: re.Pattern | str | None):
     cookiecutter(str(HERE.parent.parent), output_dir=tmp_path, no_input=True, extra_context=params)
     proj_dir = tmp_path / "project-name"
     assert proj_dir.is_dir()
     path = proj_dir / path
-    pattern = re.compile(pattern, re.MULTILINE)
-    assert pattern.search(path.read_text())
+    if pattern is None:
+        assert not path.exists()
+    else:
+        pattern = re.compile(pattern, re.MULTILINE)
+        assert pattern.search(path.read_text())
+
+    assert not list(proj_dir.rglob("DELETE-ME"))
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/.gitignore b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/.gitignore
index d01a5d5d..2ff7df49 100644
--- a/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/.gitignore
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/.gitignore
@@ -3,6 +3,13 @@
 *~
 buck-out/
 
+{% if not cookiecutter.ide_integration -%}
+# IDEs
+/.idea/
+/.vscode/
+
+{% endif -%}
+
 # Compiled files
 .venv/
 __pycache__/
@@ -18,7 +25,3 @@ __pycache__/
 # docs
 /docs/generated/
 /docs/_build/
-
-# IDEs
-/.idea/
-/.vscode/
diff --git a/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{% if cookiecutter.ide_integration %}.prettierrc.yaml{% endif %} b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{% if cookiecutter.ide_integration %}.prettierrc.yaml{% endif %}
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9aaffcbb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{% if cookiecutter.ide_integration %}.prettierrc.yaml{% endif %}	
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+overrides:
+  # JSON with comments and trailing commas
+  - files: .vscode/*.json
+    options:
+      parser: json5
+      quoteProps: preserve
+      singleQuote: false
diff --git "a/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{{\".vscode\" if cookiecutter.ide_integration else \"DELETE-ME\" }}/extensions.json" "b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{{\".vscode\" if cookiecutter.ide_integration else \"DELETE-ME\" }}/extensions.json"
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a6fa5803
--- /dev/null
+++ "b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{{\".vscode\" if cookiecutter.ide_integration else \"DELETE-ME\" }}/extensions.json"	
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{
+    "recommendations": [
+        // GitHub integration
+        "github.vscode-github-actions",
+        "github.vscode-pull-request-github",
+        // Language support
+        "ms-python.python",
+        "ms-python.vscode-pylance",
+        "ms-toolsai.jupyter",
+        "tamasfe.even-better-toml",
+        // Dependency management
+        "ninoseki.vscode-mogami",
+        // Linting and formatting
+        "editorconfig.editorconfig",
+        "charliermarsh.ruff",
+        "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
+    ],
+}
diff --git "a/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{{\".vscode\" if cookiecutter.ide_integration else \"DELETE-ME\" }}/launch.json" "b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{{\".vscode\" if cookiecutter.ide_integration else \"DELETE-ME\" }}/launch.json"
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..36d18746
--- /dev/null
+++ "b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{{\".vscode\" if cookiecutter.ide_integration else \"DELETE-ME\" }}/launch.json"	
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+{
+    // Use IntelliSense to learn about possible attributes.
+    // Hover to view descriptions of existing attributes.
+    // For more information, visit: https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=830387
+    "version": "0.2.0",
+    "configurations": [
+        {
+            "name": "Python: Build Documentation",
+            "type": "debugpy",
+            "request": "launch",
+            "module": "sphinx",
+            "args": ["-M", "html", ".", "_build"],
+            "cwd": "${workspaceFolder}/docs",
+            "console": "internalConsole",
+            "justMyCode": false,
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "Python: Debug Test",
+            "type": "debugpy",
+            "request": "launch",
+            "program": "${file}",
+            "purpose": ["debug-test"],
+            "console": "internalConsole",
+            "justMyCode": false,
+            "env": {
+                "PYTEST_ADDOPTS": "--color=yes",
+            },
+            "presentation": {
+                "hidden": true,
+            },
+        },
+    ],
+}
diff --git "a/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{{\".vscode\" if cookiecutter.ide_integration else \"DELETE-ME\" }}/settings.json" "b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{{\".vscode\" if cookiecutter.ide_integration else \"DELETE-ME\" }}/settings.json"
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..b6715d6f
--- /dev/null
+++ "b/{{cookiecutter.project_name}}/{{\".vscode\" if cookiecutter.ide_integration else \"DELETE-ME\" }}/settings.json"	
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+{
+    "[python][jsonc][yaml]": {
+        "editor.formatOnSave": true,
+    },
+    "[python]": {
+        "editor.defaultFormatter": "charliermarsh.ruff",
+        "editor.codeActionsOnSave": {
+            "source.fixAll": "always",
+            "source.organizeImports": "always",
+        },
+    },
+    "[jsonc][yaml]": {
+        "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
+    },
+    "python.analysis.typeCheckingMode": "basic",
+    "python.testing.pytestEnabled": true,
+    "python.testing.pytestArgs": ["-vv", "--color=yes"],
+}