{ } JSON Formatter

Format, validate, and minify JSON. Free developer tool.

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Online JSON Formatter & Validator

Paste your JSON to instantly check if it's valid. Format with 2 or 4 spaces for readability, or minify to remove all whitespace. Your data stays in your browser — nothing is sent to a server.

How to Use the JSON Formatter

Format JSON: Paste minified or messy JSON, click Format, and get clean indented JSON you can actually read. Validate: The formatter checks for syntax errors like missing commas, unclosed brackets, or trailing commas. Invalid JSON shows a red error marker at the exact line. Minify: Convert formatted JSON to compact single-line format — reduces file size for production. Common Fix: If your JSON has single quotes, replace them with double quotes (standard JSON spec) before formatting.

Quick Demo

Paste this (minified): 
{"name":"John","age":30,"items":["apple","banana"],"address":{"city":"New York","zip":"10001"}}
Get this (formatted): 
{
  "name": "John",
  "age": 30,
  "items": [
    "apple",
    "banana"
  ],
  "address": {
    "city": "New York",
    "zip": "10001"
  }
}

Common Scenarios

Debugging an API Response: The backend returned a 500 error with a JSON body you cannot read. Paste it in, click Format, and you immediately see the structure. The user.address object is null — your code expects a string. Three minutes saved versus stepping through debugger breakpoints.

Writing API Documentation: You need a clean example of a JSON request body. Type it compact, paste, format — now you have a perfectly indented code block for your docs. No manual spacing, no alignment errors.

Cleaning Up Config Files: Your package.json has 40 dependencies with inconsistent indentation from manual edits. Paste, format, copy back. The file looks professional, diffs are clean, and your team stops complaining about formatting in code reviews.

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JSON Formatter — Beautify, Validate, Fix Your JSON

How do I make JSON readable?

Paste your JSON into the box above and click Format. The tool adds proper indentation, line breaks, and color coding so you can see the structure at a glance — objects, arrays, keys, and values all visually distinct. No more squinting at a one-line blob of brackets and commas.

Why is my JSON invalid? Common errors and fixes

Four mistakes cause 90% of JSON errors: trailing commas (a comma after the last item in an object or array — JSON forbids this), missing quotes around keys (every key must be double-quoted, unlike JavaScript objects), single quotes (JSON requires double quotes), and unclosed brackets. The validator marks the exact line and position of the error so you can fix it in seconds.

What is the difference between formatting and minifying?

Formatting (beautify) adds whitespace for human readability — use this when you are debugging or inspecting data. Minifying removes all unnecessary whitespace — use this for production, reducing file size by 30-40%. Many developers keep beautified JSON in source control and minify during the build step.

Can I convert JSON to something else?

Not here — this is a formatter, not a converter. However, formatted JSON is trivial to copy into Excel (paste → Data → From Text) or into Python/R/any language with JSON parsing. For bulk conversion between formats, use the dedicated converters in our toolkit.

All processing is client-side. Your data never leaves your browser.

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