JSON Formatter

Format, beautify, and validate JSON data with syntax highlighting, collapsible trees, and error detection.

100% client-side No signup Free forever
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JSON Stats

0 Keys
0 Max Depth
0 Size (bytes)
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How to Use JSON Formatter

How to Use the JSON Formatter

  1. Paste your JSON: Enter or paste your JSON data into the input area.
  2. Check validity: The validator automatically checks your JSON and shows any errors.
  3. Click Format: Press the Format/Beautify button to pretty-print your JSON.
  4. Adjust settings: Choose indentation size (2 or 4 spaces, or tabs).
  5. Optional - Minify: Click Minify to compress JSON for production use.
  6. Copy result: Copy the formatted JSON to your clipboard.

Before (Minified)

{"name":"John","age":30,"city":"New York","hobbies":["reading","gaming"]}

After (Formatted)

{
  "name": "John",
  "age": 30,
  "city": "New York",
  "hobbies": [
    "reading",
    "gaming"
  ]
}
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Features

  • Beautify/pretty print JSON
  • Minify JSON for production
  • JSON syntax validation
  • Error highlighting with line numbers
  • Adjustable indentation (2, 4 spaces, tabs)
  • Sort keys alphabetically
  • Tree view explorer
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Collapse/expand nested objects
  • Handle large JSON files
  • Download formatted JSON
  • No registration required
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About JSON Formatter

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the web's dominant data interchange format, but minified JSON is nearly impossible to read. Our JSON Formatter beautifies compact JSON into readable, properly indented structure while validating syntax and highlighting errors.

Formatting Features

  • Pretty Print: Add proper indentation and line breaks
  • Syntax Highlighting: Color-code keys, strings, numbers, booleans
  • Collapsible Sections: Expand and collapse nested objects and arrays
  • Minify Option: Compress formatted JSON back to compact form
  • Custom Indentation: Choose 2-space, 4-space, or tab indentation

Validation

Invalid JSON causes API failures and application errors. Our formatter validates syntax, identifying issues like missing commas, unmatched brackets, or invalid escape sequences. Error messages pinpoint exact locations for quick fixes.

Working with JSON

API responses, configuration files, and database exports often arrive as dense JSON blobs. Formatting makes structure visible—nested relationships, array contents, and data types become clear. This visibility accelerates debugging and data exploration.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does JSON formatting do?
JSON formatting takes compact or poorly structured JSON and makes it human-readable by adding proper indentation, line breaks, and spacing. It also validates that your JSON is syntactically correct. Minification does the opposite - removes whitespace to reduce file size for production.
Why is my JSON invalid?
Common JSON errors include: trailing commas after the last item (not allowed), single quotes instead of double quotes (must use double), unquoted property names (all keys need quotes), missing commas between items, unclosed brackets/braces, and using undefined/NaN values. Our formatter highlights the exact error location.
What is the difference between JSON and JavaScript objects?
JSON is stricter than JavaScript objects: keys must be double-quoted strings, values cannot be functions or undefined, trailing commas are forbidden, and only double quotes are allowed for strings. JavaScript objects are more flexible. Our tool strictly validates against JSON specification (RFC 8259).
How do I minify JSON for production?
Click the "Minify" button to remove all unnecessary whitespace, creating the smallest valid JSON. This is useful for APIs and data storage where file size matters. Minified JSON is functionally identical - just harder for humans to read.
Can I convert between JSON and other formats?
Our suite includes converters for JSON to YAML, YAML to JSON, and JSON to other formats. JSON Formatter focuses on formatting and validation. For format conversion, use our dedicated converter tools which handle syntax differences between formats.
What indentation options are available?
Choose between 2 spaces (common in JavaScript), 4 spaces (common in Python), tabs, or custom spacing. The choice is stylistic - all produce valid JSON. Most teams pick one standard for consistency. Our tool defaults to 2 spaces, the most common web convention.