JSON Formatter
Format, beautify, and validate JSON data instantly.
How to use this tool
Why use this tool
FAQ
Is my JSON data private?
Can I format large JSON files?
Does it detect errors?
Can I minify JSON too?
What is the difference between JSON and JavaScript objects?
Why does my JSON fail to parse?
About JSON Formatter
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the universal data exchange format for APIs, configuration files, and web applications. When you receive raw JSON from an API response or a log file, it often arrives as a single line with no whitespace — human-unreadable but technically valid. A JSON formatter adds indentation and line breaks to reveal the structure at a glance.
JSON Syntax Rules
Valid JSON follows strict rules that differ from JavaScript object syntax. Keys must be double-quoted strings — single quotes are not allowed. Values can be strings, numbers, booleans (true/false), null, arrays, or nested objects. Trailing commas after the last element cause a parse error — a common mistake when hand-editing JSON. Comments are also not permitted in the JSON spec, though some parsers support them as extensions.
When to Use a JSON Formatter
Paste minified API responses here before debugging — indented output makes it easy to locate nested fields. Use the validator to catch syntax errors before committing config files. The minify function goes the other way: it strips all whitespace to reduce payload size when sending data over a network or embedding JSON in code.
Formatting vs Validation
Formatting and validation are two separate operations. Formatting assumes the input is valid and restructures it for readability. Validation parses the input and reports whether it conforms to the JSON specification. This tool does both: it formats valid input and reports the exact line and position of any syntax error in invalid input, so you can fix the problem rather than hunting for it manually.