Tools
JSON Formatter
The JSON formatter parses and pretty-prints JSON data with configurable indentation and syntax highlighting. It validates the input and reports parse errors with line and column information, making it easy to spot malformed JSON. You can also collapse the output back to minified form for storage or transmission. It is an everyday tool for developers working with APIs, configuration files, and data pipelines.
What is the JSON Formatter?
The JSON formatter is a tool that takes raw JSON text — whether compact, malformed, or unreadable — and produces a consistently indented, syntax-highlighted version. It uses a strict JSON parser to detect syntax errors including misplaced commas, unclosed brackets, unquoted keys, and invalid escape sequences. The formatted output makes deeply nested structures easy to read and navigate. It supports both formatting and minification in the same interface.
How does it work?
Paste your JSON into the input area. The tool attempts to parse it using a strict JSON parser and, on success, re-serializes it with configurable indentation (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs). If parsing fails, it reports the error and highlights the approximate location in the input. Syntax highlighting color-codes keys, strings, numbers, booleans, and null values for quick visual scanning. The formatted result can be copied with one click.
Typical Use Cases
- Formatting compact API responses for manual inspection
- Validating JSON configuration files before deployment
- Minifying large JSON payloads to reduce file size
- Debugging JSON parsing errors in webhook payloads
Step-by-step Guide
- Step 1: Paste your raw JSON into the input field.
- Step 2: Choose your preferred indentation style (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tab).
- Step 3: Click Format to pretty-print, or Minify to compress.
- Step 4: Copy the result or use it directly in your workflow.
Example
Input
{"name":"Alice","age":30,"active":true}
Output
{
"name": "Alice",
"age": 30,
"active": true
}
Tips & Notes
- Use 2-space indentation for JSON that will be committed to version control — it produces smaller diffs.
- If the formatter reports an error, check for trailing commas after the last array element or object property.
- JSON does not support comments — remove them before formatting if you copied from a JSONC file.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between JSON and JSONC?
JSONC (JSON with Comments) is an extension used by tools like VS Code that allows // and /* */ comments in configuration files. Standard JSON parsers reject comments, so strip them before validating with this tool.
Can the formatter handle very large JSON files?
Browser-based formatters are limited by available memory and JavaScript's single-threaded execution. For files larger than a few megabytes, a command-line tool like jq is more appropriate.
JSON Formatter
Format and prettify JSON strings into a readable layout — with syntax highlighting, line numbers, key sorting, and statistics.
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