JSON Formatter & Beautifier

Format, validate, and beautify JSON data with syntax highlighting. Perfect for developers, API testing, and data analysis.

Input JSON

Formatting Options

Quick Examples:

Simple Object →
Array of Objects →
API Response →

Quick Actions

Formatted JSON

Your formatted JSON will appear here.
Click "Format & Beautify JSON" to get started.

Advanced Features

Formatting History

Keep track of your recent formatting operations with our built-in history feature.

JSON Comparison

Compare original and formatted JSON side by side with character counts and visual diff.

Schema Validation

Validate your JSON against custom schemas for structure and data type validation.

Why Use Our JSON Formatter?

Real-time Formatting

Format and validate JSON instantly with live syntax highlighting and error detection.

Privacy First

All processing happens in your browser. No data is sent to any server, ensuring complete privacy.

Fully Customizable

Choose indentation style, sort keys, minify, and customize output to your preferences.

How to Use the JSON Formatter

  • Paste JSON: Copy and paste your JSON data into the input field
  • Choose Formatting: Select your preferred indentation (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs)
  • Format JSON: Click "Format JSON" to beautify and validate your JSON
  • View Results: See formatted JSON with syntax highlighting in the output panel
  • Use Advanced Features: Access tree view, minification, comparison, and schema validation
  • Export Results: Copy to clipboard, download as file, or share your formatted JSON

Advanced Features

  • Tree View: Visual hierarchical representation of JSON structure with collapsible nodes
  • JSON Comparison: Compare original and formatted JSON side by side with character counts
  • Schema Validation: Validate JSON against custom schemas for structure and data type validation
  • Minification: Compress JSON by removing whitespace for optimal network transmission
  • History Tracking: Keep track of your recent formatting operations for quick reference
  • Key Sorting: Alphabetically sort object keys for consistent formatting

Frequently Asked Questions

What is JSON formatting?
JSON formatting (or "beautifying") is the process of adding proper indentation, line breaks, and spacing to JSON data to make it more readable for humans. This is especially useful when working with complex JSON structures.
Is my JSON data safe?
Yes, absolutely! All JSON processing happens entirely in your browser. No data is sent to any server, ensuring complete privacy and security for your sensitive information.
What is JSON minification?
JSON minification is the opposite of formatting - it removes all unnecessary whitespace, line breaks, and indentation to reduce the file size. This is useful for optimizing JSON for network transmission.
Can I format invalid JSON?
Our tool includes a JSON validator that will detect and highlight syntax errors in your JSON. If your JSON is invalid, the formatter will show you exactly where the error occurs.
What is JSON Schema validation?
JSON Schema is a vocabulary that allows you to annotate and validate JSON documents. Our tool can validate your JSON against a provided schema to ensure it matches the expected structure.
What is Tree View?
Tree View provides a hierarchical, collapsible representation of your JSON structure, making it easier to navigate and understand complex nested objects and arrays.
Can I compare JSON files?
Yes! Our comparison tool allows you to view original and formatted JSON side by side, with character counts for easy comparison of size differences.
What statistics are available?
Our tool provides detailed statistics including character count, key count, JSON depth, file size, line count, and validation status.
Can I sort object keys alphabetically?
Yes! Enable the "Sort object keys alphabetically" option to automatically sort all object keys in your JSON for consistent formatting.
Can I save my formatting history?
Yes, the tool automatically saves your last 5 formatting operations locally in your browser. You can view and reload them from the History section in Advanced Features.

Complete JSON Formatting Solution

Our free online JSON Formatter and Beautifier provides developers, data analysts, and API testers with a comprehensive tool for working with JSON data. Whether you're debugging API responses, analyzing data structures, or preparing JSON for documentation, our tool offers everything you need in one convenient package.

What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. It's become the standard format for APIs, configuration files, and data storage in web applications.

JSON is built on two structures:

  • Objects: Collections of key-value pairs (like dictionaries or hash tables)
  • Arrays: Ordered lists of values (like lists or arrays)

Tree View Navigation

Navigate complex JSON structures with our interactive tree view. Collapse and expand nodes to focus on specific sections of your JSON data.

Side-by-Side Comparison

Compare original and formatted JSON side by side. See exactly what changed during formatting with character counts and visual diff highlighting.

Schema Validation

Validate your JSON against custom schemas to ensure data integrity and structure compliance. Perfect for API development and data validation.

Why Format JSON?

While JSON is inherently readable, unformatted JSON (often called "minified" JSON) can be difficult to work with:

  • Debugging: Formatted JSON makes it easier to spot structural issues
  • Documentation: Well-formatted JSON is essential for clear documentation
  • Code reviews: Readable JSON helps team members understand data structures
  • Learning: Beginners can more easily understand JSON syntax with proper formatting
  • API Development: Formatted JSON responses are easier to test and debug
  • Data Analysis: Structured JSON makes data extraction and analysis more efficient

Key Features of Our JSON Formatter

Our JSON Formatter goes beyond basic formatting with several advanced features:

  • Syntax highlighting: Color-coded JSON elements for better readability
  • Real-time validation: Instant feedback on JSON syntax errors
  • Customizable indentation: Choose between 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs
  • Minification: Compress JSON for optimal network transmission
  • Tree View: Visual hierarchical representation of JSON structure
  • Comparison Tool: Compare original and formatted JSON side by side
  • JSON Schema Validation: Validate against custom schemas
  • Detailed Statistics: Get insights into your JSON structure
  • Operation history: Keep track of your recent formatting operations
  • One-click copying: Instantly copy formatted JSON to your clipboard
  • File export: Save formatted JSON as a .json file
  • Key Sorting: Alphabetically sort object keys for consistency
  • Quick Examples: Pre-loaded JSON examples for testing

Common Use Cases

Our JSON Formatter is perfect for:

  • API development: Format and validate API request/response data
  • Data analysis: Make complex JSON datasets readable for analysis
  • Web development: Debug and work with JSON configuration files
  • Education: Learn JSON syntax with visual formatting assistance
  • Documentation: Create clean, readable JSON examples for documentation
  • Code reviews: Share and discuss JSON structures with team members
  • Testing: Validate JSON responses against expected schemas
  • Data Migration: Prepare and validate JSON data for system migrations
  • Mobile Development: Work with JSON configurations for mobile apps
  • Database Exports: Format JSON data exported from databases

Why Choose Our JSON Formatter?

As part of the iTrustPDF suite of tools, our JSON Formatter is built with the same attention to detail and user experience that has made our PDF tools popular worldwide. We're committed to providing free, high-quality tools that make developers' lives easier.

Whether you're a seasoned developer working with complex APIs or someone just learning about JSON, our formatter provides an intuitive and feature-rich platform for all your JSON formatting needs.

Try our tool today and experience the difference professional JSON formatting can make!