How to Format JSON: Pretty Print, Minify and Validate

Understand JSON formatting, validation and minification with practical examples.

Pretty-printing JSON

Pretty-printed JSON adds indentation and line breaks so nested objects and arrays are easier to inspect and edit. It does not change the underlying data.

Minifying JSON

Minified JSON removes unnecessary whitespace. This can make a payload more compact while keeping the same structure and values.

Common JSON syntax errors

Property names need double quotes, objects use braces, arrays use brackets, commas separate items and trailing commas are not valid JSON.

Keep sensitive JSON local

When working with configuration data or other private text, a browser-based formatter can be useful because the processing can happen locally. Open the JSON Formatter to try it.