How to Format JSON Online
Step-by-step guide to formatting, validating, and minifying JSON. Fix syntax errors and pretty-print JSON for readability.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the standard data format for APIs, config files, and data exchange. Raw JSON from APIs is often minified — all on one line, hard to read. Formatting adds indentation so you can inspect structure, find errors, and debug faster.
When to format JSON
- Debugging API responses from REST or GraphQL endpoints
- Reviewing configuration files before deployment
- Validating JSON syntax before sending to a production API
- Comparing two JSON payloads side by side
How to format JSON in 3 steps
- Copy your raw JSON — from an API response, log file, or config
- Paste it into the JSON Formatter input box
- Click Format (or press Ctrl+Enter) to pretty-print with 2-space indentation
Format vs minify vs validate
Format (pretty-print) adds readable indentation. Minify removes all whitespace for smaller payloads — useful before sending JSON to an API. Validate checks syntax without changing the output — ideal for CI checks or quick error detection.
Common JSON errors
- Trailing commas after the last item in an array or object
- Single quotes instead of double quotes for strings
- Unescaped special characters inside string values
- Missing closing brackets or braces
Our JSON Formatter shows the exact parse error message and line context, making it easy to locate and fix syntax issues quickly.
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