JSON Formatter

Understanding JSON

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. It's widely used in web applications, APIs, and configuration files.

📋 JSON Syntax Rules

Data is in name/value pairs: "name": "value"
Data is separated by commas: Each pair is separated by a comma
Curly braces hold objects: { }
Square brackets hold arrays: [ ]
Keys must be strings: Always use double quotes for keys
String values use double quotes: Single quotes are not valid

🔤 JSON Data Types

String: Text values in double quotes "hello"
Number: Integer or floating point 42, 3.14
Boolean: true or false
Null: null represents empty value
Object: Collection of key-value pairs { }
Array: Ordered list of values [ ]

💡 Common Use Cases

APIs: Most REST APIs use JSON for request/response data
Configuration files: package.json, tsconfig.json, etc.
Data storage: NoSQL databases like MongoDB use JSON-like documents
Web applications: Frontend-backend communication
Logging: Structured logging in JSON format

📝 Example JSON

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "age": 30,
  "isStudent": false,
  "address": {
    "street": "123 Main St",
    "city": "New York",
    "country": "USA"
  },
  "hobbies": ["reading", "coding", "gaming"],
  "metadata": null
}
        

⚠️ Common JSON Errors

Missing quotes on keys: {name: "John"} ❌ → {"name": "John"} ✅
Single quotes: {'name': 'John'} ❌ → {"name": "John"} ✅
Trailing comma: {"a": 1, "b": 2,} ❌ → {"a": 1, "b": 2} ✅
Unquoted strings: {"name": John} ❌ → {"name": "John"} ✅
Invalid escape: {"path": "C:\Users"} ❌ → {"path": "C:\\Users"} ✅

🔍 How to Use This Tool

Paste your JSON into the input area
Choose formatting options (indent size, sort keys)
Click "Format JSON" to beautify the output
Click "Validate JSON" to check for errors
Click "Minify JSON" to compress the output
Enable tree view to see JSON structure visually
Copy or download the formatted output

🎯 Best Practices

Always validate JSON before using it in your application
Use consistent formatting for better readability
Minify JSON for production to reduce file size
Use tree view to understand complex JSON structures
Check for trailing commas - they're invalid in JSON
Use double quotes for all strings and keys

JSON Formatter & Validator