JSON Formatter & Beautifier Online
Format and beautify raw JSON instantly with our free online JSON Formatter. Customize indentation, collapse nodes, and download clean, readable JSON in one click.
About JSON Formatter & Beautifier
Raw JSON from APIs is often minified into a single line, making it nearly impossible to read or debug. This JSON Formatter takes that compressed data and transforms it into a clean, indented structure that you can actually work with. It runs entirely in your browser, so your data never leaves your machine.
How the formatter works
Paste your minified or poorly formatted JSON into the input box and click the Format button. The tool parses your JSON to validate it, then rebuilds it with consistent indentation using your chosen indent size from the dropdown (2 spaces, 4 spaces, 8 spaces, or tabs).
The formatted output appears in the right panel with syntax highlighting. Use the Copy button to grab the result or Download to save it as a .json file. If your JSON has errors, the error message shows at the bottom of the output panel pointing to the issue.
When you'd use this
You're debugging an API response that came back as a single line of text. Or you received a JSON config file from a teammate and need to understand its structure before making changes. This tool also helps when preparing JSON for documentation or presentations where readability matters.
Note that this formatter only handles valid JSON. If your input has syntax errors, you'll see an error message instead of formatted output. For fixing broken JSON, try our JSON Error Explanation tool which tells you exactly what's wrong.
Questions
Does this tool work with large JSON files?
Yes, but browser performance may slow down with files over 10MB. For very large files, consider using a desktop editor like VS Code with JSON extensions.
Can I customize the indentation style?
Use the Indent Size dropdown to choose between 2 spaces, 4 spaces, 8 spaces, or tab characters. The default is 2 spaces which is the most common convention.
Is my JSON data sent to a server?
No, all formatting happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. Your data never leaves your computer, making this safe for sensitive information.
What happens if my JSON is invalid?
The tool will display an error message explaining what went wrong. The error includes the position and type of syntax issue so you can fix it.
Can I format JSONP or JSON with comments?
No, this tool only handles standard JSON. JSONP wrappers and comments are not part of the JSON specification and will cause parsing errors.