Choose the right JSON action
Format adds indentation and line breaks. Minify removes optional whitespace outside strings. Validate checks syntax. Both formatting actions validate first, so broken input cannot produce a misleading export. Switch to Tree to inspect nested data, or Code to review the exact text you will copy.
Formatting examples with expected output
{"order":1042,"paid":true,"items":["book","pen"]}. With 2-space indentation, the output is:{
"order": 1042,
"paid": true,
"items": [
"book",
"pen"
]
}The items remain in their original order.
{ "message": "hello world", "count": 2 } becomes {"message":"hello world","count":2}. The three spaces inside the string remain.{"id":9007199254740993} keeps the same digits after formatting and export.How to Use This Tool
- Paste JSON, use Try an example, or open a UTF-8 JSON file.
- Choose 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs. Auto-update checks changes after a short pause.
- Use Format JSON or Minify; Ctrl or Command + Enter also runs formatting.
- In Tree, open an object or array and select a property to copy its value. In Code, inspect the formatted output.
- Copy JSON or Download exports the entire current result. Editing the input clears an outdated result.
Common Use Cases
What stays unchanged
Formatting keeps the original property order, string escapes, and number text. For example, 9007199254740993, 1e400, and -0 are not rounded or converted to JavaScript numbers. This does not guarantee that the next app you paste into can represent those numbers exactly.
Editor limits and privacy
Parsing and file reading happen in your browser; this tool does not send JSON to ToolSprouts. Each document may contain up to 1,048,576 UTF-8 bytes (1 MiB), 50,000 values, and 100 nesting levels. For more than 2,000 values, open branches individually; children appear in groups of 100. An editor-limit message describes a size limit, not invalid JSON.
When formatting cannot help
Comments, single-quoted strings, and trailing commas are not accepted. Use the error location to repair the input or see the correction examples in the JSON validator. A duplicate-property notice means the document has repeated names: they stay in the output, but another application may discard earlier values. Rename or remove the duplicates before exchanging the data.