JSON is everywhere in modern development, APIs, config files, data exchange, but minified or malformed JSON is hard to read and easy to break. You can beautify, validate and minify JSON here so you can work with it confidently.
Beautify vs. minify
Beautifying adds indentation and line breaks so JSON is human-readable, ideal while developing and debugging. Minifying strips all that whitespace to make the smallest possible payload, ideal for production and network transfer. Both keep your data identical.
How to format JSON (step by step)
- Open the JSON Formatter and paste your JSON.
- Click Beautify to indent it, or Minify to compress it.
- Fix any errors flagged, then copy the result.
Tips
- Validate API responses by pasting them in, invalid JSON is flagged immediately.
- Use double quotes for all keys and string values; JSON doesn't allow single quotes.
- Encode text safely for transport with the Base64 tool if needed.
{ } Try the JSON Formatter
Free, instant and private, right in your browser.
Open the JSON Formatter →Frequently asked questions
How do I format (beautify) JSON?
Paste your JSON and click Beautify. It is re-indented into clean, readable form; click Minify to compress it again.
How do I know if my JSON is valid?
If the JSON is invalid, the tool shows the exact error message so you can find and fix the problem.
Does it change my data?
No. Formatting only changes spacing and indentation, your values and structure stay identical.
Is my JSON uploaded anywhere?
Never. Validation and formatting happen locally in your browser.