Online JSON Formatter — Prettify with Custom Indentation

Format minified or messy JSON with readable indentation. Choose 2 or 4 spaces or tabs — all processing stays local in your browser.

Loading…
JSON formatter — prettify playbook
Turn minified or messy JSON into readable, indented output. Choose 2 or 4 spaces or tabs — formatting runs locally with no uploads.

Developer notes

• Input is validated before formatting — fix syntax errors first. • Indent size and character (spaces vs tabs) apply on each Format action. • Data fidelity is preserved: numbers, key order and string contents stay identical. • For byte reduction, use the JSON minifier — this page targets readability, not compression.

When teams pick this route

• Review minified API logs or webhook payloads during incident response. • Normalize fixtures before opening pull requests. • Prepare readable snippets for documentation or Slack threads. • Inspect converter output before exporting to YAML or CSV.

Worked examples

Minified log line

Sample input

{"level":"error","msg":"timeout","retry":3}

Formatted output

{ "level": "error", "msg": "timeout", "retry": 3 }

Nested config with tabs

Sample input

{"app":{"name":"checkout","flags":["canary"]}}

Formatted output

{ "app": { "name": "checkout", "flags": ["canary"] } }

Navigate related JSON tools

Validate first with the JSON validator, spot regressions using JSON diff, or explore keys in the JSON tree viewer. Tighten payloads via our JSON minifier or export through JSON → XML.

JSON formatter FAQ

Beautify without changing data

Does formatting change values?

No — only whitespace and indentation change. Parsed data remains identical.

Difference vs JSON minifier?

The minifier removes whitespace to shrink file size. This formatter adds indentation for human review.

Key order?

Insertion order from the parser is preserved in the formatted output.

Server uploads?

No — formatting executes locally in your browser.

Can I sort keys?

Not on this page — use the JSON minifier options if you need deterministic key sorting before compression.

Browse every FastMinify utility in one place? Developer tools hub Open the developer tools catalogue.

JSON minifier