JSON Formatter
Format, validate, and beautify JSON data. Perfect for developers working with APIs, configuration files, and data structures. Minify for production or beautify for readability.
Input JSON
Output
How to Format and Validate JSON
- 1Paste Your JSON: Copy and paste your JSON data into the input textarea. Can be from APIs, config files, or any JSON source.
- 2Choose Your Action: Format for readability, minify for size, or validate for correctness.
- 3Adjust Indentation: Set your preferred indentation size (2 or 4 spaces) for formatted output.
- 4Copy Results: Use the copy button to instantly copy the formatted JSON to your clipboard.
💡 JSON Best Practices
- • Use double quotes for strings, not single quotes
- • Numbers don't need quotes unless they're strings
- • Boolean values: true/false (lowercase, no quotes)
- • Arrays use square brackets: [1, 2, 3]
- • Objects use curly braces: {"key": "value"}
- • No trailing commas allowed in JSON
JSON vs Other Data Formats
JSON
Advantages:
- • Human-readable
- • Lightweight
- • Wide language support
- • Native JavaScript support
Best For:
- • APIs and web services
- • Configuration files
- • Data exchange
XML
Advantages:
- • Self-documenting
- • Schema validation
- • Namespace support
- • Attributes and elements
Best For:
- • Document markup
- • Enterprise systems
- • Complex data structures
YAML
Advantages:
- • Very human-readable
- • Comments supported
- • Indentation-based
- • Multi-line strings
Best For:
- • Configuration files
- • DevOps and CI/CD
- • Documentation
When You Need JSON Formatting
🌐 API Development
Format API responses and requests for debugging and documentation.
⚙️ Configuration Files
Organize and validate application configuration settings.
🐛 Debugging
Pretty-print JSON to identify errors and understand data structure.
📊 Data Analysis
Format data exports for analysis and reporting tools.
📚 Documentation
Create readable examples for API documentation and tutorials.
🔄 Data Migration
Validate and transform data during system migrations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between formatting and minifying JSON?
Formatting adds proper indentation and line breaks for readability. Minifying removes all unnecessary whitespace to reduce file size for production use.
How do I fix common JSON errors?
Common errors include: missing quotes around strings, trailing commas, single quotes instead of double quotes, and unescaped special characters. Our validator helps identify these issues.
Is my JSON data secure when using this tool?
Yes! All JSON processing happens locally in your browser. Your data never leaves your device or gets sent to any servers.
What's the maximum size JSON I can format?
The tool can handle very large JSON files (several MBs), limited only by your browser's memory. For extremely large files, consider breaking them into smaller chunks.
Can I validate JSON schema with this tool?
This tool validates JSON syntax (structure and formatting). For schema validation (checking data types and required fields), you'll need specialized schema validation tools.
JSON Syntax Reference
Valid JSON Structure
{
"string": "Hello World",
"number": 42,
"boolean": true,
"null": null,
"array": [1, 2, 3],
"object": {
"nested": "value"
}
}