JSON Formatter
Formatted Output
{
"name": "John Doe",
"age": 30,
"city": "New York",
"hobbies": [
"reading",
"coding",
"hiking"
]
} Online JSON Formatter - Beautify & Validate JSON Code Instantly
Our online JSON formatter provides a fast and user-friendly way to beautify, validate, and format JSON code directly in your browser. Whether you're a developer debugging APIs or a beginner learning JSON, our formatter ensures your JSON is clean, readable, and error-free.
Why Use Our JSON Formatter?
- No installation needed - Format JSON directly in your browser
- Real-time validation - Instantly check for JSON syntax errors
- Beautification - Convert minified JSON to a readable, indented format
- User-friendly interface - Intuitive design with syntax highlighting
- Free to use - No registration or subscription required
- Mobile-friendly - Format JSON on any device
- Shareable output - Easily copy and share formatted JSON
Getting Started with JSON
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data-interchange format that's easy for humans to read and write, and for machines to parse and generate. It's widely used in APIs, configuration files, and data storage.
Basic JSON Structure
{
"name": "John Doe",
"age": 30,
"isStudent": false,
"hobbies": ["reading", "coding"],
"address": {
"city": "New York",
"zip": "10001"
}
} Key components of JSON:
- Objects: Enclosed in curly braces
{}, containing key-value pairs - Arrays: Enclosed in square brackets
[], containing ordered lists - Values: Strings, numbers, booleans, null, objects, or arrays
- Keys: Strings enclosed in double quotes
Note: JSON requires double quotes for strings and keys, and values must be valid JSON types. Our formatter validates these rules automatically.
JSON Formatting Basics
Formatting JSON involves converting minified or unreadable JSON into a structured, indented format. For example:
Minified JSON
{"name":"John","age":30,"city":"New York"} Formatted JSON
{
"name": "John",
"age": 30,
"city": "New York"
} Common JSON Operations
- Beautify: Adds indentation and line breaks for readability
- Minify: Removes unnecessary whitespace to reduce size
- Validate: Checks for syntax errors like missing commas or brackets
- Tree View: Visualizes JSON structure hierarchically (available in advanced formatters)
Frequently Asked Questions
JSON is used for data exchange between servers and clients, storing configuration data, and serializing data in applications. It's popular in REST APIs and web development.
Paste your JSON into our formatter and click "Format." If there are errors, they'll be highlighted in the output section with details.
Yes, our tool can minify JSON by removing whitespace. Use the output section to copy the minified result after formatting.
Common errors include missing commas, unmatched brackets, single quotes instead of double quotes, and invalid value types.
JSON is lighter, easier to read, and faster to parse than XML. It uses a simpler structure with key-value pairs and arrays, while XML uses tags.
Tip: Always validate your JSON before using it in production to avoid runtime errors in your applications.
Advanced JSON Usage
Explore these advanced JSON concepts:
- Nested Objects: JSON supports nested objects for complex data structures
{
"user": {
"profile": {
"name": "John",
"age": 30
}
}
} Common JSON Mistakes
- Missing commas between key-value pairs or array elements
- Using single quotes instead of double quotes
- Incorrect nesting of objects or arrays
- Trailing commas in objects or arrays
- Invalid number formats (e.g., leading zeros)
Learning Resources
Enhance your JSON skills with these resources:
- Official JSON Site: json.org for the JSON specification
- Tutorials: MDN Web Docs, W3Schools
- Practice: Build APIs with tools like Postman or create JSON-based projects
- Books: "JSON at Work" by Tom Marrs
Use our JSON formatter to practice and validate your JSON code as you learn!