Does formatting change my data?

No. Whitespace between tokens is not part of the JSON data model, so the parsed value is identical before and after — only the presentation changes.

Why does my JSON fail to parse here?

The three most common causes: single quotes instead of double quotes, a trailing comma after the last element, and unescaped newlines inside strings. JSON is stricter than JavaScript object literals.

Is this the same as a JSON validator?

Formatting has to parse the input first, so invalid JSON shows up as an error either way. A dedicated validator also gives you the precise error position, which matters more for large documents.

JSON Formatter & Validator — Guide

Format and validate JSON online — pretty-print at your indent size, sort keys and spot syntax errors instantly, right in your browser.

What it is and when to use it

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the de-facto data format for APIs and configuration files. Tools and logs usually emit it minified — one long line with no whitespace — which is compact to transfer but unreadable to humans. This tool re-indents that single line into a structure you can actually read, and fails loudly on invalid JSON, which makes syntax errors visible at a glance.

Formats cramped JSON into a readable indented structure — essential when reading logs and API responses.

How to use it

Paste the minified JSON
Get the formatted result
Adjust the indentation if you need to

A worked example

Fill in sample JSON

{"name":"DigDevBox","tools":["toolbox","devtools"],"count":2}

Copy this into the tool, or open JSON Formatter & Validator

Things that trip people up

JSON only allows double quotes; single quotes fail to parse

Questions people ask

Does formatting change my data?: No. Whitespace between tokens is not part of the JSON data model, so the parsed value is identical before and after — only the presentation changes.
Why does my JSON fail to parse here?: The three most common causes: single quotes instead of double quotes, a trailing comma after the last element, and unescaped newlines inside strings. JSON is stricter than JavaScript object literals.
Is this the same as a JSON validator?: Formatting has to parse the input first, so invalid JSON shows up as an error either way. A dedicated validator also gives you the precise error position, which matters more for large documents.

Next steps

Open the JSON Formatter & Validator tool

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