What is JSON Formatting?
JSON formatting (also known as beautifying or pretty printing) is the process of transforming compact, minified JSON into a human-readable format with proper indentation and line breaks. While minified JSON is efficient for data transfer, formatted JSON is essential for debugging, code review, and understanding complex data structures.
100% Private: All formatting happens in your browser. Your JSON data never leaves your device.
How JSON Formatting Works
{"name":"John","age":30,"city":"New York","skills":["JavaScript","Python","Go"]}
{
"name": "John",
"age": 30,
"city": "New York",
"skills": [
"JavaScript",
"Python",
"Go"
]
}
Features
Instant Formatting
Paste your JSON and click Format. Get beautifully indented JSON in milliseconds.
Syntax Highlighting
Color-coded output makes it easy to distinguish keys, strings, numbers, and booleans.
Works Offline
Once loaded, the tool works without an internet connection. Perfect for sensitive data.
File Upload
Upload JSON files directly. No need to copy and paste large data sets.
When to Use a JSON Formatter
- Debugging API responses: API responses are often minified. Format them to understand the data structure.
- Code review: Formatted JSON is easier to read and review for errors.
- Configuration files: Keep your config files readable and maintainable.
- Documentation: Include properly formatted JSON examples in your docs.
- Learning: Understand JSON structure by seeing it properly formatted.
Frequently Asked Questions
JSON formatting (also called beautifying or pretty printing) is the process of adding proper indentation, line breaks, and spacing to JSON data to make it human-readable. Minified JSON removes all whitespace to reduce file size, while formatted JSON adds it back for readability.
Simply paste your minified or unformatted JSON into the input area and click the Format button. The tool will automatically add proper indentation (typically 2 or 4 spaces) and line breaks to make your JSON readable.
Yes, absolutely. Our JSON formatter runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your data never leaves your device and is never sent to any server. The tool works 100% offline after the initial page load.