JSON Formatter & Viewer
Format, beautify, minify, and validate JSON. Explore your data with the interactive tree viewer. All processing happens locally in your browser.
Format & Beautify
Add proper indentation and make JSON readable
Tree Viewer
Interactive tree view with search & expand
Minify
Remove whitespace to reduce file size
Validate
Check JSON syntax with detailed errors
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About the JSON Formatter & Viewer
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) has become the universal language of modern web APIs, configuration files, and data exchange. From REST APIs serving mobile apps to GitHub Actions workflows and Stripe webhook payloads, JSON is everywhere. But raw JSON — especially when minified into a single 5,000-character line — is nearly impossible to read by eye. That's where a good JSON Formatter earns its keep.
Our JSON Formatter does four things developers reach for daily: it pretty-prints minified JSON into readable indented form, validates the syntax with precise error messages (line, column, and a likely cause), minifies large objects to save bandwidth, and offers an interactive tree viewer that lets you collapse and expand any node — including JSON strings nested inside strings, a common pattern in webhooks and log files.
Everything runs locally in your browser using the native JSON.parse() engine. We never upload your data, which matters when you're inspecting payment intents, API keys, or production logs.
How to use JSON Formatter & Viewer
Paste your JSON
Copy any JSON string — from a curl response, log file, API call, or browser DevTools — and paste it into the input area on the left. The tool accepts JSON of any size up to a few megabytes.
Click "Format"
Use the indent selector (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs) and click Format. Invalid JSON shows a precise error including the position of the problem character. The right panel updates instantly with the formatted output.
Switch to Tree View
Click the "Viewer" tab on the output side to switch from text to an interactive tree. The first two levels are auto-expanded; click any chevron to drill deeper. Strings that look like JSON are auto-parsed and shown as nested expandable nodes with an amber sparkle icon.
Search and navigate
Use the search bar above the tree to filter by key or value — matching nodes are highlighted in real-time. Click any value to copy it, or copy the dot-path to use in code (e.g., data.object.metadata.order_id).
Copy or download
Use the copy button to put the formatted JSON on your clipboard, or download as a .json file. Switch to Minify mode to compress your JSON back to a single line for production use.
Common Use Cases
Debug API responses
Paste a Stripe, GitHub, or custom REST API response to see its shape clearly. The tree view makes it easy to find the one field buried 6 levels deep that you actually need.
Inspect webhook payloads
When testing webhooks, the body often contains stringified JSON inside metadata fields. Our auto-parse feature recursively expands these for full visibility.
Validate before deploying configs
Catch a missing comma or unmatched brace in your package.json, tsconfig.json, or AWS policy document before it breaks a build.
Convert between minified and pretty
Frontend bundles and CDN configs prefer minified JSON; humans prefer pretty. Switch in one click.
Educational use
Teaching JSON to junior developers? The tree view is the clearest way to explain how nested objects and arrays relate.
Compare schemas at a glance
Use the stats bar (objects, arrays, keys, max depth) to quickly compare two API responses and find structural differences.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about JSON Formatter & Viewer.
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