JSON Formatter

What is the Free JSON Formatter?

The free JSON Formatter instantly transforms minified, compressed, or messy JSON into clean, readable code with syntax highlighting. Paste your raw JSON into the Input panel, choose Format or Minify mode, and the colour-coded result appears immediately — purple keys, green strings, blue numbers, amber booleans. No account, no uploads, no waiting.

• → Beautify API responses while debugging REST or GraphQL endpoints
• → Minify JSON config files before committing to reduce file size
• → Validate and clean up package.json, tsconfig.json, or .eslintrc files
• → Read compressed JSON payloads from server logs or database exports
• → Format webhook event bodies for easier inspection during development

How to Use the Free JSON Formatter

1. 1 Paste your JSON into the Input panel on the left side of the screen.
2. 2 Toggle between Format (pretty-print with indentation) and Minify (compress to one line) using the mode buttons at the top.
3. 3 Select 2 spaces or 4 spaces for your preferred indentation width.
4. 4 Review the syntax-highlighted output — keys are purple, strings green, numbers blue, booleans amber, and null values grey.
5. 5 Click Copy to copy the result to your clipboard, or Download to save it as a .json file.

Key Features

• 🎨
  Syntax highlighting

  Keys, strings, numbers, booleans, and nulls are each colour-coded for fast scanning.
• ⚡
  Instant formatting

  Output updates as you type — no button press needed.
• 📦
  Format & Minify modes

  Switch between pretty-print and single-line minified output in one click.
• ✅
  Built-in validation

  Invalid JSON shows a clear parse error with the exact position of the problem.
• 💾
  Download as .json

  Save the formatted or minified result directly to a .json file.
• 🔒
  Runs in your browser

  Your JSON data is never sent to a server. Fully private and works offline.

Example Usage

{"name":"Alice","age":30,"roles":["admin","user"],"active":true}

{
  "name": "Alice",
  "age": 30,
  "roles": [
    "admin",
    "user"
  ],
  "active": true
}

Frequently Asked Questions about the Free JSON Formatter

What is the free JSON Formatter?

Format, validate, and beautify JSON data with syntax highlighting.

Is the JSON Formatter free to use?

Yes, the JSON Formatter is completely free. No account, subscription, or signup is required — ever.

Does my data get uploaded anywhere?

No. The JSON Formatter runs entirely in your browser. Your data is never sent to any server.

Does it work offline?

Yes. Once the page has loaded, the tool works without an internet connection.

Which browsers are supported?

All modern browsers — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. No plugins or extensions required.

Can I format minified or single-line JSON?

Yes. Paste any valid JSON — no matter how compressed — into the Input panel and select Format mode. The tool handles deeply nested objects and large arrays without any size limit.

What indentation should I use — 2 or 4 spaces?

Two spaces is the most common standard (used by npm, Prettier, and most APIs). Four spaces matches older Java and .NET conventions. Both are valid — choose based on your project's style guide or personal preference.

Does this tool support JSON with comments (JSON5 or JSONC)?

No — standard JSON does not allow comments. If your file contains // or /* */ comments (common in tsconfig.json or VS Code settings), remove them first or use a JSON5-aware editor before pasting here.

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