JSON Formatter & Beautifier

1. Paste your JSON in the input area.
2. Choose indentation size (2 or 4 spaces).
3. The formatted JSON appears instantly in the output.
4. Use "Minify" to compress JSON to a single line.
5. Click "Copy" to copy the result.

About JSON Formatting

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the most widely used data interchange format on the web. Properly formatted JSON is easier to read, debug, and maintain. This tool instantly prettifies or minifies your JSON with correct indentation.

Common JSON Pitfalls

JSON is stricter than JavaScript objects. Trailing commas after the last item in an array or object will cause a parse error. Keys must be double-quoted; single quotes and unquoted keys are invalid. Strings must also use double quotes; single-quoted strings are a syntax error. If you're copying from JavaScript source code, these differences catch people constantly.

Formatting vs Validation

Formatting (pretty-printing) rearranges whitespace for readability but doesn't change the data. Validation checks whether the JSON conforms to an expected structure or schema. This tool does both: it will reject invalid JSON with an error message and format valid JSON with your chosen indentation. For schema validation (checking that fields exist and have correct types), you need a separate JSON Schema validator.

Indentation: 2 Spaces, 4 Spaces, or Tabs?

Two-space indentation is the standard for most JavaScript and TypeScript projects, and it's what tools like Prettier default to. Four spaces is common in Python ecosystems and makes deeply nested structures easier to scan. Tabs are rare in JSON files. For production or API payloads, use minification. Stripping all whitespace cuts file size significantly, which matters for bandwidth-sensitive applications.

Need to check your JSON for errors? Use our JSON Validator for detailed syntax checking. You can also convert your data to other formats with the JSON to YAML Converter or generate type definitions with the JSON to TypeScript tool.