Free Online JSON Formatter & Beautifier
The JSON Formatter takes compact or messy JSON and prints it in a clean, indented, human-readable structure. It validates your JSON and shows a clear error if the syntax is wrong — all in your browser.
How to use the JSON Formatter
- 1 Paste raw or minified JSON into the input box.
- 2 The formatted, indented version appears immediately, with syntax errors highlighted at the exact line.
- 3 Choose your indent width — 2 spaces, 4 spaces or tabs — to match your project style.
- 4 Copy the result, or switch to minify mode to strip all whitespace instead.
How to Use
Paste your JSON into the box and click Format. The beautified, indented version appears on the right — copy it with one click.
- Validates JSON and reports the exact error if invalid
- Pretty-prints with 2-space indentation
- Handles large objects without uploading anything
Frequently asked questions
Why does my JSON fail to parse?
The usual causes are a trailing comma before a closing brace, single quotes instead of double quotes, an unquoted key, or a comment. Standard JSON allows none of these — the tool points at the offending position so you can fix it directly.
Does it preserve the order of my keys?
Yes. Formatting rewrites whitespace only; the key order you supplied is kept exactly as written. Note that if you re-serialise through JavaScript, numeric-looking keys can be reordered by the engine.
Can it handle very large files?
It handles files of a few megabytes comfortably, since parsing happens in your browser with no upload. Beyond that, browser memory becomes the limiting factor rather than the tool.
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