diff --git a/doc/options.md b/doc/options.md
index f856046..f0a28dc 100644
--- a/doc/options.md
+++ b/doc/options.md
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 *   [options.tree](#optionstree)
 *   [options.treeIn](#optionstreein)
 *   [options.treeOut](#optionstreeout)
+*   [options.inspect](#optionsinspect)
 *   [options.rcName](#optionsrcname)
 *   [options.packageField](#optionspackagefield)
 *   [options.detectConfig](#optionsdetectconfig)
@@ -341,7 +342,8 @@ Whether to write successfully processed files and where to.
 
 Note that if [`treeIn`][tree-in] is turned on, generated files get the first
 defined [`extensions`][extensions].  If [`treeOut`][tree-out] is turned on,
-generated files receive the `'json'` extension.
+generated files receive the `'json'` extension.  If [`inspect`][inspect] is
+turned on, generated files receive the `'txt'` extension.
 
 <!-- Info: -->
 
@@ -538,6 +540,54 @@ Yields:
 }
 ```
 
+## `options.inspect`
+
+Skip the [compilation phase][unified-description] and output a syntax tree
+formatted with [`unist-util-inspect`][unist-util-inspect].
+
+Sets the extension of processed files to `txt` if possible.
+
+Uses ANSI colour sequences in the formatted syntax tree if `color` is turned on.
+
+*   Type: `boolean`, optional
+*   Default: `false`
+
+###### Example
+
+The following example shows a script which reads and parses `doc.md`, then
+[`remark-unlink`][remark-unlink] transforms the syntax tree, the tree is
+formatted with [`unist-util-inspect`][unist-util-inspect], and finally written
+to **stdout**(4).
+
+```js
+var engine = require('unified-engine');
+var remark = require('remark');
+var unlink = require('remark-unlink');
+
+engine({
+  processor: remark(),
+  plugins: [unlink],
+  files: ['doc.md'],
+  inspect: true
+}, function (err) {
+  if (err) throw err;
+});
+```
+
+Where `doc.md` looks as follows:
+
+```md
+[foo](https://example.com)
+```
+
+Yields:
+
+```txt
+root[1] (1:1-2:1, 0-27)
+└─ paragraph[1] (1:1-1:27, 0-26)
+   └─ text: "foo" (1:2-1:5, 1-4)
+```
+
 ## `options.rcName`
 
 Name of [configuration][configure] file to load.  If given and
@@ -970,7 +1020,7 @@ See [`options.reporter`][reporter] for an example.
 
 ## `options.color`
 
-Whether to [report][reporter] with ANSI colour sequences.
+Whether to [report][reporter] or [inspect][] with ANSI colour sequences.
 
 *   Type: `boolean`, default: `false`
 
@@ -1147,6 +1197,8 @@ engine({
 
 [tree-out]: #optionstreeout
 
+[inspect]: #optionsinspect
+
 [detect-config]: #optionsdetectconfig
 
 [rc-name]: #optionsrcname
@@ -1176,3 +1228,5 @@ engine({
 [reporters]: https://github.com/vfile/vfile#reporters
 
 [json]: https://github.com/vfile/vfile-reporter-json
+
+[unist-util-inspect]: https://github.com/syntax-tree/unist-util-inspect
diff --git a/lib/file-pipeline/stringify.js b/lib/file-pipeline/stringify.js
index e90a52d..54647ba 100644
--- a/lib/file-pipeline/stringify.js
+++ b/lib/file-pipeline/stringify.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 var debug = require('debug')('unified-engine:file-pipeline:stringify');
 var stats = require('vfile-statistics');
+var inspect = require('unist-util-inspect');
 
 module.exports = stringify;
 
@@ -23,7 +24,14 @@ function stringify(context, file) {
 
   debug('Compiling `%s`', file.path);
 
-  if (context.treeOut) {
+  if (context.inspect) {
+    /* Add a `txt` extension if there’s a path. */
+    if (file.path) {
+      file.extname = '.txt';
+    }
+
+    value = inspect[context.color ? 'color' : 'noColor'](tree) + '\n';
+  } else if (context.treeOut) {
     /* Add a `json` extension to ensure the file is correctly seen as JSON.
      * Only add it if there’s a path — not if the file is for example stdin. */
     if (file.path) {
diff --git a/lib/file-set-pipeline/transform.js b/lib/file-set-pipeline/transform.js
index f60be8c..48b61fd 100644
--- a/lib/file-set-pipeline/transform.js
+++ b/lib/file-set-pipeline/transform.js
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ function transform(context, settings, next) {
       pluginPrefix: settings.pluginPrefix,
       treeIn: settings.treeIn,
       treeOut: settings.treeOut,
+      inspect: settings.inspect,
+      color: settings.color,
       out: settings.out,
       output: settings.output,
       streamOut: settings.streamOut,
diff --git a/lib/index.js b/lib/index.js
index 1a4fc8b..87715da 100644
--- a/lib/index.js
+++ b/lib/index.js
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ function run(options, callback) {
 
   settings.treeIn = options.treeIn;
   settings.treeOut = options.treeOut;
+  settings.inspect = options.inspect;
 
   if (settings.treeIn === null || settings.treeIn === undefined) {
     settings.treeIn = tree;
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 859e2d0..c73ad9c 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
     "parse-json": "^4.0.0",
     "to-vfile": "^2.0.0",
     "trough": "^1.0.0",
+    "unist-util-inspect": "^4.1.2",
     "vfile-reporter": "^4.0.0",
     "vfile-statistics": "^1.1.0",
     "x-is-function": "^1.0.4",
diff --git a/readme.md b/readme.md
index 761d9f3..97944b0 100644
--- a/readme.md
+++ b/readme.md
@@ -91,6 +91,8 @@ done.
     — Whether to treat input as a syntax tree
 *   [`treeOut`][tree-out] (`boolean`, default: `tree`)
     — Whether to treat output as a syntax tree
+*   [`inspect`][inspect] (`boolean`, default: `false`)
+    — Whether to output a formatted syntax tree
 *   [`rcName`][rc-name] (`string`, optional)
     — Name of configuration files to load
 *   [`packageField`][package-field] (`string`, optional)
@@ -228,6 +230,8 @@ repository, organisation, or community you agree to abide by its terms.
 
 [tree-out]: doc/options.md#optionstreeout
 
+[inspect]: doc/options.md#optionsinspect
+
 [detect-config]: doc/options.md#optionsdetectconfig
 
 [rc-name]: doc/options.md#optionsrcname
diff --git a/test/index.js b/test/index.js
index 17311c7..e701d88 100644
--- a/test/index.js
+++ b/test/index.js
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ require('./configuration-default');
 require('./stdin');
 require('./output');
 require('./tree');
+require('./inspect');
 require('./file-path');
 require('./color');
 require('./reporting');
diff --git a/test/inspect.js b/test/inspect.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed7a0c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/inspect.js
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
+'use strict';
+
+var fs = require('fs');
+var path = require('path');
+var PassThrough = require('stream').PassThrough;
+var test = require('tape');
+var noop = require('./util/noop-processor');
+var spy = require('./util/spy');
+var engine = require('..');
+
+var join = path.join;
+var read = fs.readFileSync;
+var unlink = fs.unlinkSync;
+
+var fixtures = join(__dirname, 'fixtures');
+
+test('inspect', function (t) {
+  t.plan(3);
+
+  t.test('should write text when `inspect` is given', function (st) {
+    var cwd = join(fixtures, 'one-file');
+    var stderr = spy();
+
+    st.plan(4);
+
+    engine({
+      processor: noop(),
+      cwd: cwd,
+      streamError: stderr.stream,
+      output: 'formatted.txt',
+      inspect: true,
+      files: ['.'],
+      extensions: ['txt']
+    }, function (err, code) {
+      var doc = read(join(cwd, 'formatted.txt'), 'utf8');
+
+      /* Remove the file. */
+      unlink(join(cwd, 'formatted.txt'));
+
+      st.error(err, 'should not fail fatally');
+      st.equal(code, 0, 'should exit with `0`');
+
+      st.equal(
+        stderr(),
+        'one.txt > formatted.txt: written\n',
+        'should report'
+      );
+
+      st.equal(
+        doc,
+        'text: ""\n',
+        'should write the transformed doc as a formatted syntax tree'
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
+  t.test('should support `inspect` for stdin', function (st) {
+    var stdin = new PassThrough();
+    var stdout = spy();
+    var stderr = spy();
+
+    setTimeout(send, 50);
+
+    function send() {
+      stdin.end('\n');
+    }
+
+    st.plan(1);
+
+    engine({
+      processor: noop,
+      streamIn: stdin,
+      streamOut: stdout.stream,
+      streamError: stderr.stream,
+      inspect: true
+    }, function (err, code) {
+      st.deepEqual(
+        [err, code, stderr(), stdout()],
+        [
+          null,
+          0,
+          '<stdin>: no issues found\n',
+          'text: "\\n"\n'
+        ],
+        'should work'
+      );
+    });
+  });
+
+  t.test('should support `inspect` with colour', function (st) {
+    var stdin = new PassThrough();
+    var stdout = spy();
+    var stderr = spy();
+
+    setTimeout(send, 50);
+
+    function send() {
+      stdin.end('\n');
+    }
+
+    st.plan(1);
+
+    engine({
+      processor: noop,
+      streamIn: stdin,
+      streamOut: stdout.stream,
+      streamError: stderr.stream,
+      inspect: true,
+      color: true
+    }, function (err, code) {
+      st.deepEqual(
+        [err, code, stderr(), stdout()],
+        [
+          null,
+          0,
+          '\x1b[4m\x1b[32m<stdin>\x1b[39m\x1b[24m: no issues found\n',
+          'text\x1b[2m: \x1b[22m\x1b[32m"\\n"\x1b[39m\n'
+        ],
+        'should work'
+      );
+    });
+  });
+});