udithaAnuranjana · Oct 10, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -12,6 +12,11 @@
 
 ### Enhancements
 
+* Add the opt-in `imports_at_top` rule to require file-scope imports to appear
+  before other declarations.   
+  [udithaAnuranjana](https://github.com/udithaAnuranjana)
+  [#6892](https://github.com/realm/SwiftLint/issues/6892)
+
 * Add autocorrection to the `multiline_call_arguments` rule, expanding single-line
   and multi-line calls to one-argument-per-line, including nested calls whose closing
   `)` would otherwise be stranded with the last argument.  

diff --git a/Plugins/SwiftLintBuildToolPlugin/SwiftLintBuildToolPlugin.swift b/Plugins/SwiftLintBuildToolPlugin/SwiftLintBuildToolPlugin.swift
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import Foundation
 import PackagePlugin
 
+#if canImport(XcodeProjectPlugin)
+import XcodeProjectPlugin
+#endif
+
 @main
 struct SwiftLintBuildToolPlugin: BuildToolPlugin {
     func createBuildCommands(
@@ -89,8 +93,6 @@ private func addedToEnvironment(_ new: [String: String]) -> [String: String] {
 
 #if canImport(XcodeProjectPlugin)
 
-import XcodeProjectPlugin
-
 // swiftlint:disable:next no_grouping_extension
 extension SwiftLintBuildToolPlugin: XcodeBuildToolPlugin {
     func createBuildCommands(

diff --git a/Plugins/SwiftLintCommandPlugin/CommandContext.swift b/Plugins/SwiftLintCommandPlugin/CommandContext.swift
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 import PackagePlugin
 
+#if canImport(XcodeProjectPlugin)
+import XcodeProjectPlugin
+#endif
+
 protocol CommandContext {
     var tool: String { get throws }
 
@@ -54,8 +58,6 @@ extension PluginContext: CommandContext {
 
 #if canImport(XcodeProjectPlugin)
 
-import XcodeProjectPlugin
-
 extension XcodePluginContext: CommandContext {
     var tool: String {
         get throws {

diff --git a/Plugins/SwiftLintCommandPlugin/SwiftLintCommandPlugin.swift b/Plugins/SwiftLintCommandPlugin/SwiftLintCommandPlugin.swift
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 import Foundation
 import PackagePlugin
 
+#if canImport(XcodeProjectPlugin)
+import XcodeProjectPlugin
+#endif
+
 private let commandsNotExpectingPaths: Set<String> = [
     "docs",
     "generate-docs",
@@ -23,8 +27,6 @@ struct SwiftLintCommandPlugin: CommandPlugin {
 
 #if canImport(XcodeProjectPlugin)
 
-import XcodeProjectPlugin
-
 extension SwiftLintCommandPlugin: XcodeCommandPlugin {
     func performCommand(context: XcodePluginContext, arguments: [String]) throws {
         try lintFiles(context: context, arguments: arguments)

diff --git a/Source/SwiftLintBuiltInRules/Models/BuiltInRules.swift b/Source/SwiftLintBuiltInRules/Models/BuiltInRules.swift
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ public let builtInRules: [any Rule.Type] = [
     ImplicitOptionalInitializationRule.self,
     ImplicitReturnRule.self,
     ImplicitlyUnwrappedOptionalRule.self,
+    ImportsAtTopRule.self,
     InclusiveLanguageRule.self,
     IncompatibleConcurrencyAnnotationRule.self,
     IndentationWidthRule.self,

diff --git a/Source/SwiftLintBuiltInRules/Rules/Style/ImportsAtTopRule.swift b/Source/SwiftLintBuiltInRules/Rules/Style/ImportsAtTopRule.swift
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+import SwiftLintCore
+import SwiftSyntax
+
+@SwiftSyntaxRule(optIn: true)
+struct ImportsAtTopRule: Rule {
+    var configuration = SeverityConfiguration<Self>(.warning)
+
+    static let description = RuleDescription(
+        identifier: "imports_at_top",
+        name: "Imports at Top",
+        description: "Imports should appear at the beginning of the file",
+        kind: .style,
+        nonTriggeringExamples: #examples([
+            """
+            struct Foo {}
+            """,
+            """
+            import Foundation
+            import UIKit
+            @testable import MyModule
+
+            struct Foo {}
+            """,
+            """
+            // File header comment
+
+            import Foundation
+            import UIKit
+
+            struct Foo {}
+            """,
+            """
+            #if canImport(UIKit)
+            import UIKit
+            #else
+            import AppKit
+            #endif
+
+            import Foundation
+
+            struct Foo {}
+            """,
+            """
+            #if canImport(UIKit)
+            #if DEBUG
+            import UIKit
+            #endif
+            #endif
+
+            import Foundation
+
+            struct Foo {}
+            """,
+        ]),
+        triggeringExamples: #examples([
+            """
+            import Foundation
+
+            struct Foo {}
+
+            ↓import UIKit
+            """,
+            """
+            struct FooTests {}
+
+            @testable ↓import MyModule
+            """,
+            """
+            struct Foo {}
+
+            #if canImport(UIKit)
+            ↓import UIKit
+            #else
+            ↓import AppKit
+            #endif
+            """,
+            """
+            #if DEBUG
+            struct DebugHelper {}
+
+            ↓import Testing
+            #endif
+            """,
+            """
+            #if DEBUG
+            struct DebugHelper {}
+
+            #if canImport(UIKit)
+            ↓import UIKit
+            #endif
+            #endif
+            """,
+        ])
+    )
+}
+
+private extension ImportsAtTopRule {
+    final class Visitor: ViolationsSyntaxVisitor<ConfigurationType> {
+        override var skippableDeclarations: [any DeclSyntaxProtocol.Type] { .all }
+
+        override func visitPost(_ node: SourceFileSyntax) {
+            var hasSeenNonImportItem = false
+            checkImportPlacement(
+                in: node.statements,
+                hasSeenNonImportItem: &hasSeenNonImportItem
+            )
+        }
+
+        private func checkImportPlacement(in statements: CodeBlockItemListSyntax, hasSeenNonImportItem: inout Bool) {
+            for statement in statements {
+                if let importDecl = statement.item.as(ImportDeclSyntax.self) {
+                    if hasSeenNonImportItem {
+                        violations.append(
+                            importDecl.importKeyword.positionAfterSkippingLeadingTrivia
+                        )
+                    }
+                    continue
+                }
+
+                if let ifConfig = statement.item.as(IfConfigDeclSyntax.self) {
+                    checkImportPlacement(
+                        in: ifConfig,
+                        hasSeenNonImportItem: &hasSeenNonImportItem
+                    )
+                    continue
+                }
+
+                hasSeenNonImportItem = true
+            }
+        }
+
+        private func checkImportPlacement(in ifConfig: IfConfigDeclSyntax, hasSeenNonImportItem: inout Bool) {
+            let hadSeenNonImportItemBeforeIf = hasSeenNonImportItem
+            var anyClauseHasSeenNonImportItem = false
+
+            for clause in ifConfig.clauses {
+                guard let statements = clause.elements?.as(CodeBlockItemListSyntax.self) else {
+                    continue
+                }
+
+                var clauseHasSeenNonImportItem = hadSeenNonImportItemBeforeIf
+
+                checkImportPlacement(
+                    in: statements,
+                    hasSeenNonImportItem: &clauseHasSeenNonImportItem
+                )
+
+                if clauseHasSeenNonImportItem {
+                    anyClauseHasSeenNonImportItem = true
+                }
+            }
+            hasSeenNonImportItem = hadSeenNonImportItemBeforeIf || anyClauseHasSeenNonImportItem
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_04.swift b/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_04.swift
@@ -129,6 +129,14 @@ struct ImplicitlyUnwrappedOptionalRuleGeneratedTests {
     }
 }
 
+@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
+struct ImportsAtTopRuleGeneratedTests {
+    @Test
+    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
+        verifyRule(ImportsAtTopRule.description)
+    }
+}
+
 @Suite(.rulesRegistered)
 struct InclusiveLanguageRuleGeneratedTests {
     @Test
@@ -200,11 +208,3 @@ struct LastWhereRuleGeneratedTests {
         verifyRule(LastWhereRule.description)
     }
 }
-
-@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
-struct LeadingWhitespaceRuleGeneratedTests {
-    @Test
-    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
-        verifyRule(LeadingWhitespaceRule.description)
-    }
-}
diff --git a/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_05.swift b/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_05.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ import Testing
 @testable import SwiftLintBuiltInRules
 @testable import SwiftLintCore
 
+@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
+struct LeadingWhitespaceRuleGeneratedTests {
+    @Test
+    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
+        verifyRule(LeadingWhitespaceRule.description)
+    }
+}
+
 @Suite(.rulesRegistered)
 struct LegacyCGGeometryFunctionsRuleGeneratedTests {
     @Test
@@ -200,11 +208,3 @@ struct MultilineParametersBracketsRuleGeneratedTests {
         verifyRule(MultilineParametersBracketsRule.description)
     }
 }
-
-@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
-struct MultilineParametersRuleGeneratedTests {
-    @Test
-    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
-        verifyRule(MultilineParametersRule.description)
-    }
-}
diff --git a/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_06.swift b/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_06.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ import Testing
 @testable import SwiftLintBuiltInRules
 @testable import SwiftLintCore
 
+@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
+struct MultilineParametersRuleGeneratedTests {
+    @Test
+    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
+        verifyRule(MultilineParametersRule.description)
+    }
+}
+
 @Suite(.rulesRegistered)
 struct MultipleClosuresWithTrailingClosureRuleGeneratedTests {
     @Test
@@ -200,11 +208,3 @@ struct OrphanedDocCommentRuleGeneratedTests {
         verifyRule(OrphanedDocCommentRule.description)
     }
 }
-
-@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
-struct OverriddenSuperCallRuleGeneratedTests {
-    @Test
-    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
-        verifyRule(OverriddenSuperCallRule.description)
-    }
-}
diff --git a/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_07.swift b/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_07.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ import Testing
 @testable import SwiftLintBuiltInRules
 @testable import SwiftLintCore
 
+@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
+struct OverriddenSuperCallRuleGeneratedTests {
+    @Test
+    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
+        verifyRule(OverriddenSuperCallRule.description)
+    }
+}
+
 @Suite(.rulesRegistered)
 struct OverrideInExtensionRuleGeneratedTests {
     @Test
@@ -200,11 +208,3 @@ struct QuickDiscouragedPendingTestRuleGeneratedTests {
         verifyRule(QuickDiscouragedPendingTestRule.description)
     }
 }
-
-@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
-struct RawValueForCamelCasedCodableEnumRuleGeneratedTests {
-    @Test
-    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
-        verifyRule(RawValueForCamelCasedCodableEnumRule.description)
-    }
-}
diff --git a/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_08.swift b/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_08.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ import Testing
 @testable import SwiftLintBuiltInRules
 @testable import SwiftLintCore
 
+@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
+struct RawValueForCamelCasedCodableEnumRuleGeneratedTests {
+    @Test
+    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
+        verifyRule(RawValueForCamelCasedCodableEnumRule.description)
+    }
+}
+
 @Suite(.rulesRegistered)
 struct ReduceBooleanRuleGeneratedTests {
     @Test
@@ -200,11 +208,3 @@ struct SortedFirstLastRuleGeneratedTests {
         verifyRule(SortedFirstLastRule.description)
     }
 }
-
-@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
-struct SortedImportsRuleGeneratedTests {
-    @Test
-    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
-        verifyRule(SortedImportsRule.description)
-    }
-}
diff --git a/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_09.swift b/Tests/GeneratedTests/GeneratedTests_09.swift
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ import Testing
 @testable import SwiftLintBuiltInRules
 @testable import SwiftLintCore
 
+@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
+struct SortedImportsRuleGeneratedTests {
+    @Test
+    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
+        verifyRule(SortedImportsRule.description)
+    }
+}
+
 @Suite(.rulesRegistered)
 struct StatementPositionRuleGeneratedTests {
     @Test
@@ -200,11 +208,3 @@ struct UnhandledThrowingTaskRuleGeneratedTests {
         verifyRule(UnhandledThrowingTaskRule.description)
     }
 }
-
-@Suite(.rulesRegistered)
-struct UnneededBreakInSwitchRuleGeneratedTests {
-    @Test
-    func withDefaultConfiguration() {
-        verifyRule(UnneededBreakInSwitchRule.description)
-    }
-}