How to use the JSON Formatter
Paste your JSON and the tool indents it with two spaces per level. If the JSON is invalid, you see the parser error instead so you can fix it.
Why format JSON
APIs and log files often return JSON squashed onto one line to save space. That is fine for machines but painful to read. Formatting puts each key on its own line and indents nested objects and arrays, so you can see the structure at a glance and spot the field you need.
Common errors to look for
If formatting fails, the usual causes are a trailing comma after the last item, single quotes instead of double quotes, keys without quotes, comments, or a missing closing bracket. JSON is stricter than JavaScript, so text that works in your code editor can still be invalid JSON.
What JSON is
JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation. It is a plain text data format built from objects in curly braces, arrays in square brackets, strings in double quotes, numbers, true, false and null. Although it came from JavaScript, it is language independent, which is why almost every API uses it. A JSON beautifier only changes the spacing, so the formatted JSON data means exactly the same thing as the compact version.
Working with large JSON files
Formatting happens in your browser, so a file of a few megabytes is fine on most computers. Very large JSON files, such as full database exports, are easier to inspect with a command line tool like jq or a code editor that can fold sections. Paste only the part you need to read here.
How it works
JSON.parse() followed by JSON.stringify(value, null, 2)
Examples
- A compact object
{ "name": "InovoTools", "status": "prototype" } - A nested array
{ "items": [ 1, 2,
Limitations and assumptions
Validates JSON syntax, not an application-specific schema.
Frequently asked questions
What does a JSON formatter do?
It parses the JSON and prints it again with consistent indentation and line breaks.
Why does my JSON fail to format?
Common causes are trailing commas, single quotes, unquoted keys and comments, none of which are valid JSON.
Is my data sent to a server?
No. Formatting runs in your browser.
Can I validate against a schema?
No. The tool checks syntax, not an application schema.