What is 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 the most common format for APIs, configuration files, and data storage in modern web applications.
📋 Common Use Cases
API responses, configuration files (package.json, tsconfig.json), data storage, and data exchange between servers and web applications.
Features of This Tool
- Format & Beautify: Convert minified JSON into readable, indented format
- Validate: Check JSON syntax and identify errors with line numbers
- Minify: Remove unnecessary whitespace to reduce file size
- Sort Keys: Alphabetically sort object keys for easier comparison
- Custom Indent: Choose your preferred indentation (2-8 spaces)
- Privacy: All processing happens in your browser - no data sent to servers
JSON Syntax Basics
{
"name": "John Doe",
"age": 30,
"isActive": true,
"address": {
"street": "123 Main St",
"city": "New York"
},
"hobbies": ["reading", "coding", "gaming"]
}
Common JSON Errors
- Trailing commas: JSON doesn't allow commas after the last item in arrays or objects
- Unquoted keys: All object keys must be wrapped in double quotes
- Single quotes: JSON only accepts double quotes for strings
- Comments: Standard JSON doesn't support comments
- Undefined values: JSON doesn't have an undefined type
Tips for Working with JSON
- Use this formatter to debug API responses
- Validate configuration files before deployment
- Minify JSON for production to reduce bandwidth
- Sort keys when comparing different JSON files
- Always validate user-submitted JSON before processing