JSON Formatter & Validator

About JSON Formatter & Validator

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format that's easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. Our JSON Formatter & Validator helps you format, validate, and beautify your JSON data with syntax highlighting and error detection.

Features

• Format and beautify JSON with customizable indentation
• Minify JSON to reduce file size
• Validate JSON syntax with detailed error messages
• Real-time validation and formatting
• Copy formatted JSON to clipboard
• Load sample JSON for testing
• Character, line, and size statistics
• Support for nested objects and arrays
• Dark mode support
• Multilingual interface

How to Use

1. Paste or type your JSON in the input field
2. Choose your preferred indentation size (2, 4, or 8 spaces)
3. Click "Format" to beautify, "Minify" to compress, or "Validate" to check syntax
4. View the formatted output and validation status
5. Copy the result to clipboard or clear to start over
6. Use "Load Sample" to see an example JSON structure

What is JSON?

JSON is a text-based format for representing structured data based on JavaScript object syntax. It's commonly used for transmitting data between a server and web application, configuration files, and data storage. JSON is language-independent and supported by virtually all modern programming languages.

JSON Syntax Rules

• Data is in name/value pairs
• Data is separated by commas
• Curly braces hold objects
• Square brackets hold arrays
• Property names must be in double quotes
• String values must be in double quotes
• Numbers can be integers or decimals
• Boolean values are true or false
• null represents no value

Common Use Cases

• API Development: Format API responses and requests
• Configuration Files: Validate and format config files (package.json, tsconfig.json, etc.)
• Data Exchange: Prepare data for transmission between systems
• Debugging: Format minified JSON for easier reading
• Documentation: Create readable examples for API documentation
• Testing: Validate test data and mock responses
• Data Storage: Format data before saving to databases

Format vs Minify

Format (Beautify): Adds indentation, line breaks, and spacing to make JSON human-readable. Use this when you need to read, edit, or debug JSON data.

Minify: Removes all unnecessary whitespace to reduce file size. Use this for production environments where file size matters, such as API responses or configuration files.

JSON Data Types

• String: "Hello World"
• Number: 42, 3.14
• Boolean: true, false
• Null: null
• Object: {"key": "value"}
• Array: [1, 2, 3]

Common JSON Errors

• Missing quotes: Property names must be in double quotes
• Trailing commas: Last item in object/array shouldn't have a comma
• Single quotes: Use double quotes, not single quotes
• Undefined values: Use null instead of undefined
• Comments: JSON doesn't support comments
• Functions: JSON can't contain functions

JSON vs JavaScript Object

While JSON syntax is derived from JavaScript object notation, they're not identical. JSON is stricter: property names must be in double quotes, trailing commas aren't allowed, and only a subset of JavaScript values are supported (no functions, undefined, or comments).

Best Practices

• Use consistent indentation (2 or 4 spaces)
• Keep property names descriptive and consistent
• Use camelCase or snake_case consistently
• Validate JSON before deploying to production
• Minify JSON for production to reduce bandwidth
• Use arrays for ordered collections
• Use objects for key-value pairs
• Keep nesting levels reasonable (avoid deep nesting)

JSON in Different Languages

• JavaScript: JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify()
• Python: json.loads() and json.dumps()
• Java: Gson, Jackson libraries
• PHP: json_decode() and json_encode()
• C#: JsonSerializer, Newtonsoft.Json
• Ruby: JSON.parse() and JSON.generate()

Privacy & Security

All JSON formatting and validation happens locally in your browser. No data is sent to any server. Your JSON data remains completely private and secure.

Frequently Asked Questions