Free, private developer tool

Online JSON Formatter

Format, beautify, validate and minify JSON instantly. Paste text or upload a JSON file, inspect clear syntax errors, then copy or download the result—without sending your data to a server.

Input JSON0 characters
Formatted output

Your JSON is processed locally in this browser and is not uploaded to our server.

Format and validate

Pretty-print compact API responses and identify invalid JSON syntax before using the data.

Minify JSON

Remove indentation and line breaks to produce a compact JSON string for transport or storage.

Private by design

Processing stays inside your browser. No account, paste history or server upload is required.

Free online JSON formatter and beautifier

A JSON formatter turns compact or inconsistently indented JSON into a readable structure. This online JSON beautifier uses standard parsing and stringification, and supports objects, arrays, strings, numbers, booleans and null values. See the number precision and duplicate-key limitations below. Choose two spaces, four spaces or tabs, and optionally sort object keys for easier comparison.

How to format JSON online

  1. Paste JSON into the input editor or upload a .json file up to 5 MB.
  2. Select your indentation and decide whether object keys should be sorted.
  3. Choose Format JSON for a pretty print, Validate for a syntax check or Minify for compact output.
  4. Copy the result or download it as a new JSON file.

JSON validator for common syntax problems

Valid JSON requires double-quoted property names and strings, balanced braces and brackets, and commas between neighbouring values. Trailing commas, comments, single-quoted strings, undefined and unquoted keys are valid in some JavaScript contexts but are not valid JSON. This checker reports parsing errors rather than silently changing your data.

JSON formatting example: before and after

A compact API response is easier to inspect with consistent indentation. Paste this example into the editor above or choose Sample to try the controls.

Before: compact JSON

{"name":"Esperto","active":true,"tools":["formatter","validator"]}

After: JSON with two-space indentation

{
  "name": "Esperto",
  "active": true,
  "tools": [
    "formatter",
    "validator"
  ]
}

Fix common JSON errors

  • Property names: use double quotes, such as {"name":"Esperto"}, rather than unquoted keys or single quotes.
  • Trailing commas: remove the comma after the final item in an object or array.
  • Comments and JavaScript: remove comments, variable declarations and values such as undefined. This tool accepts strict JSON, not JSON5 or JavaScript code.
  • API responses: paste the JSON body alone. An HTML error page or HTTP response headers cannot be formatted as JSON.

Supported features and limitations

Choose two spaces, four spaces or tabs; optionally sort object keys; validate syntax; minify; and copy or download the result. File uploads support .json files up to 5 MB. Validation checks JSON syntax, rather than whether the data matches a JSON Schema or a business rule.

This formatter uses JavaScript’s JSON parser. Integers outside the safe range (−9,007,199,254,740,991 to 9,007,199,254,740,991) can lose precision; store large identifiers as quoted strings. Duplicate property names keep their last value. Formatting can normalize number notation and escape sequences, so keep a copy of the original when exact text matters.

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JSON formatter questions

Can I format an API response or a JSON file?

Yes. Paste the response body or upload a .json file up to 5 MB, then choose Format JSON. HTTP headers and JavaScript variable declarations are not JSON and must be removed first.

Does this formatter support JSON comments or large integers?

Comments and trailing commas are not valid JSON. This tool uses JavaScript JSON.parse, which can round integers outside the safe integer range. Keep large identifiers as quoted strings. Duplicate property names keep only their last value when parsed.

How do I format JSON online?

Paste or upload your JSON, choose an indentation style and select Format JSON. The tool validates the syntax and produces a readable, pretty-printed result that you can copy or download.

Is this JSON formatter private?

Yes. Formatting, validation and minification happen locally with your browser's JSON parser. Your JSON is not sent to Esperto's server.

What is the difference between formatting and minifying JSON?

Formatting adds indentation and line breaks to make JSON easier to read. Minifying removes unnecessary whitespace to create a smaller single-line representation without changing the data.

Can the tool validate invalid JSON?

Yes. Select Validate to check the syntax. If parsing fails, the tool displays the browser's error message and, where available, the line and column of the problem.

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