JSON formatter

Client

Format, minify, and validate JSON—paste below and use the toolbar. Parsing and rewriting stay in your browser tab.

Learn more: formatting & validating JSON

Use this page to turn messy or minified JSON into readable text, or to shrink it for transport. Validation tells you quickly if the document is not legal JSON.

Why format or minify

Pretty-printing adds indentation and line breaks so you can scan structure. Minifying removes extra whitespace to save bytes—common before sending large payloads or storing compact snapshots.

Validation

A validator reports where parsing failed (for example an extra comma or a missing quote). Fixing syntax here before using the data in another system avoids confusing errors later.

Editor & actions

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Format parses and pretty-prints (invalid input is rejected). Minify removes whitespace. Validate checks syntax with JSON.parse. Escape wraps the whole editor text as one JSON string literal (for embedding). Unescape expects that literal back. Download saves the current text as .json. All local—no upload.

Large payloads may feel slow; Unescape only accepts a single JSON string value, not arbitrary documents.

Paste JSON above, then use the toolbar—validation and results appear here.

Common use cases

  • Format minified API responses into readable JSON for debugging.
  • Validate JSON before storing it in config files or CI fixtures.
  • Minify payloads before embedding them in environment variables or request bodies.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Using JSON with trailing commas or comments

    Strict JSON does not allow trailing commas or inline comments; remove them before parsing.

  • Breaking quotes when embedding JSON inside strings

    If JSON is placed inside another string, escape quotes correctly or use a file instead of inline literals.

  • Assuming object key order has semantic meaning

    Most parsers treat object keys as unordered. If deterministic ordering matters, sort keys before diffing.

FAQ

Can this formatter also validate JSON syntax?

Yes. Invalid input returns a parse error so you can fix syntax before formatting or minifying.

What should I do when JSON contains escaped text values?

Use string escape or unescape actions in the workspace to inspect raw values safely without rewriting the whole document manually.

Does JSON formatting run locally?

Yes. Parsing and formatting happen in your browser tab.

More tools

Related utilities you can open in another tab—mostly client-side.