{ }

JSON Formatter / Validator

Format, validate, minify, and explore JSON data — instantly, privately.

100% in-browser — no data sent anywhere
JSON Input
0 chars
Formatted Output
0 chars

What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, text-based data interchange format. It is easy for humans to read and write and easy for machines to parse and generate. JSON is built on two structures: key-value pairs (objects) and ordered lists (arrays).

Despite its JavaScript origins, JSON is language-independent and supported by virtually every programming language, framework, and database. It has become the dominant format for web APIs, configuration files, and data storage.

Formatting (or "pretty-printing") adds indentation and line breaks to make JSON readable. Minifying removes all unnecessary whitespace to reduce file size for production. Validating checks whether a string is structurally valid JSON.

Common uses of JSON

🌐
REST APIs
The standard request/response format for web APIs, from GitHub to Stripe to OpenAI.
⚙️
Config Files
package.json, tsconfig.json, launch.json — JSON powers configuration everywhere.
☁️
Cloud & IaC
ARM templates, CloudFormation, and Terraform state files use JSON extensively.
🗄️
Databases
MongoDB, CouchDB, and PostgreSQL JSONB store and query JSON documents natively.
📡
Webhooks
Event payloads from Slack, GitHub, Stripe and others are delivered as JSON.
📱
Mobile Apps
iOS and Android apps use JSON for API communication and local data storage.

Explore More Tools