JSON Beautifier & Formatter Online
Use this online JSON beautifier and formatter to transform a compact, messy, or hard-to-read JSON into a clean, structured format that is easy to read and work with. It runs entirely in your browser with no installation required. You can paste JSON, upload a file, or type directly into the editor, adjust formatting options to your needs, then format or prettify, copy, or download the neatly formatted output.
What This JSON Formatter Does
- Pretty-prints and formats JSON, making objects and arrays easy to read
- Formats JSON online with customizable indent size and character
- Sorts object keys or keeps the original order based on your preference
- Runs entirely in your browser for complete privacy
Key Features
- Delivers instant beautification and formatting results
- Completely free to use with no setup or installation required
- Supports spaces or tabs with adjustable indent size
- Allows you to copy the formatted JSON or download it for reuse
How to Use This JSON Formatter
- Paste your raw JSON text or upload a .json file into the editor
- Choose your preferred indent size and select spaces or tabs
- Enable options such as sorting keys or collapsing arrays and objects
- Click Beautify JSON to instantly format and view the results
- Resolve any errors, then copy or download the formatted JSON
Example 1: Minified VS Formatted JSON
Minified JSON
{"users":[{"id":1,"name":"Alice","roles":["admin","editor"]},{"id":2,"name":"Bob","roles":["viewer"]}],"meta":{"count":2,"page":1}}
Formatted JSON
{ "users": [ { "id": 1, "name": "Alice", "roles": ["admin", "editor"] }, { "id": 2, "name": "Bob", "roles": ["viewer"] } ], "meta": { "count": 2, "page": 1 } }
Example 2: Beautify Deeply Nested JSON
Deeply Nested JSON
{"a1":{"a2":{"a3":{"a4":{"a5":{"a6":{"a7":{"a8":{"a9":[1,{"k":"v"},[true,false],"text",null]}}}}}}}}}
Formatted Deeply Nested
{ "a1": { "a2": { "a3": { "a4": { "a5": { "a6": { "a7": { "a8": { "a9": [ 1, { "k": "v" }, [true, false], "text", null ] } } } } } } } } }
Example 3: Format JSON with Compact Objects
Enable the Compact Objects option in the customization settings to beautify JSON output so that nested objects appear neatly on a single line.
Minified Multiple Nested Ojects
{"user":{"name":"Alice","age":30},"product":{"id":101,"name":"Laptop"},"order":{"orderId":5001,"status":"shipped"},"address":{"city":"New York","zip":"10001"},"payment":{"method":"Credit Card","amount":1200.50}}
Formatted with Compact Objects
{ "user": {"name": "Alice", "age": 30}, "product": {"id": 101, "name": "Laptop"}, "order": {"orderId": 5001, "status": "shipped"}, "address": {"city": "New York", "zip": "10001"}, "payment": {"method": "Credit Card", "amount": 1200.5} }
Customization options
Adjust these settings to match project conventions or personal preference. Click Defaults to restore original values.
Option | Default | Description |
---|---|---|
Indent Size | 4 | Number of spaces per indentation level when formatting JSON |
Use Tabs | True | Use tab characters instead of spaces for indentation when enabled |
Sort Keys | False | Alphabetically order object keys when true |
Compact Arrays [] | TRue | Keep small arrays on one line to reduce vertical space |
Compact Objects {} | False | Keep small objects on one line when enabled |
Shorten URLs | - | Replace long URLs with a base URL prefix for display |
Specify Date Keys | - | Date keys from JSON data to convert Date strings to desired format |
Date Format | Default | Output format to apply to date keys when specified |
Wrap Length | 0 | Maximum characters per line before wrapping. Zero means no wrap |
Ending With Newline | False | Add a trailing newline at the end of the formatted output |
Drop Nulls / Empty | False | Remove keys with null or empty values from the output when enabled |
Exclude the Keys | - | Comma separated list of keys to exclude from the formatted output |
Why use a JSON Beautifier and Formatter
Readable JSON reduces debugging time and makes code reviews faster. Use this formatter to enforce consistent style across a project to avoid noisy differences and to validate API responses before integration. This JSON formatter works as a quick pretty print helper and as a free online beautifier for one off tasks.
Best Practices To Format JSON Data
- Set a single indent size for the project to avoid meaningless differeces
- Run the formatter in pre commit hooks so files are consistent on commit
- Validate JSON against a schema when structure is important for integrations
- Use sort keys only when object key order does not matter
- Keep production API payloads compressed and format them for development
Conclusion
This JSON beautifier and formatter helps you convert compact or minified objects into clear readable documents. It supports formatting large file handling and flexible formatting options so you can match team conventions or personal preference.