About JSON Formatter
This free JSON formatter helps you beautify, validate and minify JSON data instantly in your browser. Paste raw or minified JSON and click Beautify to get properly indented, human-readable output. The validator highlights syntax errors with the exact line and character position.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the most widely used data interchange format for APIs, configuration files and databases. Properly formatted JSON is essential for debugging API responses, reading configuration files and editing data structures.
All processing happens in your browser โ no JSON data is sent to any server.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Beautify and Minify?+
Beautify adds proper indentation and line breaks for human readability. Minify removes all whitespace and line breaks to produce the smallest possible JSON โ ideal for API responses and file storage to reduce size.
Why does my JSON validation fail?+
Common JSON errors: trailing commas (not allowed in JSON), single quotes instead of double quotes, unquoted keys, comments (not supported in JSON), or missing brackets and braces.
What is the difference between JSON and JavaScript objects?+
JSON requires double quotes for all keys and string values. JavaScript objects can use single quotes or unquoted keys. JSON does not support undefined, functions, or comments. JSON is a strict subset of JavaScript object notation.
Is my JSON data sent to any server?+
No. All formatting and validation uses the browser built-in JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify() functions. Your data never leaves your device.
What indentation size should I use?+
2 spaces is the most common convention (used by most style guides and tools). 4 spaces gives more visual clarity. Tab indentation is used by some legacy systems.