JSON Formatter & Validator - Format, Validate & Minify JSON Online
Free online JSON formatter, validator and minifier tool. Format JSON data with proper indentation, validate JSON syntax, and minify JSON for production use.
Format, validate, and minify your JSON data with our free online tool. Easily identify syntax errors, beautify poorly formatted JSON, or compress it for production use.
How This Tool Works
Our JSON Formatter tool helps developers validate, beautify, and minify JSON data:
- Format JSON: Formats JSON data with proper indentation to make it more readable.
- Validate JSON: Checks if your JSON is valid and shows specific syntax errors if it's not.
- Minify JSON: Removes all unnecessary whitespace to reduce file size for production use.
To use the tool:
- Paste your JSON data into the input field.
- Select your desired action (Format or Minify).
- For formatting, choose your preferred indentation size.
- Click the Format/Minify button.
- If your JSON is valid, the formatted or minified result will appear below.
- If there's an error, you'll see a helpful message explaining what's wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between formatted and minified JSON?
Formatted JSON (also called "pretty-printed" or "beautified") has proper indentation, line breaks, and spacing to make it human-readable. It's useful during development and debugging. Minified JSON has all unnecessary whitespace and line breaks removed to reduce file size. It's more compact and efficient for production environments and data transmission, but harder to read.
Why is my JSON not valid?
Common JSON syntax errors include:
- Missing or extra commas between properties or array items
- Trailing commas at the end of arrays or objects
- Missing quotes around property names
- Using single quotes instead of double quotes
- Unbalanced brackets or braces
- Using JavaScript comments or undefined values
- Invalid escape sequences in strings
Our validator provides specific error messages to help you identify and fix these issues.
Is this tool secure to use with sensitive data?
Yes, this tool processes all JSON data directly in your browser. Your data is never sent to our servers or stored anywhere. This makes it safe to use with sensitive or confidential information. However, as with any online tool, you should always be cautious about entering sensitive data if you're on a shared or public computer.
Tips and Best Practices
- When working with APIs, use the formatter to inspect response data more easily
- Before deploying apps or sending API requests, minify your JSON to reduce bandwidth
- Use this tool to quickly check if a JSON string has syntax errors
- For large JSON files, consider breaking them into smaller, more manageable parts
- You can use JSON to store configuration data, language translations, and other structured information in your applications
- Always validate user input and API responses before parsing JSON to avoid runtime errors