PHP Serialize Online — Free Serializer Tool

Convert JSON and PHP data structures into PHP serialized format instantly. Ideal for WordPress metadata, Laravel cache values and session storage. All processing happens in your browser — no data sent to any server.

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PHP Serialize

Using PHP's serialize() function to convert JSON data structures into compact PHP serialized format.

Basic example

Input JSON data

{
  "app": "FastMinify",
  "version": "2.1.0",
  "features": {
    "minify": true,
    "0": "legacy",
    "1": "modern"
  },
  "flags": [true, false, null],
  "metadata": {
    "author": "Team",
    "license": "MIT"
  }
}

Serialized PHP data

a:5:{s:3:"app";s:10:"FastMinify";s:7:"version";s:5:"2.1.0";s:8:"features";a:3:{s:1:"0";s:6:"legacy";s:1:"1";s:6:"modern";s:6:"minify";b:1;}s:5:"flags";a:3:{i:0;b:1;i:1;b:0;i:2;N;}s:8:"metadata";a:2:{s:6:"author";s:4:"Team";s:7:"license";s:3:"MIT";}}

Serialization options

Include Null Values

Includes properties with null values in the output

Comparison with/without option:

Original code

$data = [
    'name' => 'test',
    'value' => null,
    'active' => true,
    'count' => null
];

With includeNullValues: true

a:4:{s:4:"name";s:4:"test";s:5:"value";N;s:6:"active";b:1;s:5:"count";N;}

With includeNullValues: false

a:2:{s:4:"name";s:4:"test";s:6:"active";b:1;}

Difference

Properties with null values are included in the output

Remove Empty Arrays

Removes empty arrays from the result

Comparison with/without option:

Original code

$data = [
    'items' => [],
    'name' => 'test',
    'active' => true
];

With removeEmptyArrays: true

a:2:{s:4:"name";s:4:"test";s:6:"active";b:1;}

With removeEmptyArrays: false

a:3:{s:5:"items";a:0:{}s:4:"name";s:4:"test";s:6:"active";b:1;}

Difference

Empty arrays are removed from the result

Remove Empty Objects

Removes empty objects from the result

Comparison with/without option:

Original code

$data = [
    'config' => (object)[],
    'name' => 'test',
    'active' => true,
    'settings' => (object)[]
];

With removeEmptyObjects: true

a:2:{s:4:"name";s:4:"test";s:6:"active";b:1;}

With removeEmptyObjects: false

a:4:{s:4:"name";s:4:"test";s:6:"config";O:8:"stdClass":0:{}s:6:"active";b:1;s:8:"settings";O:8:"stdClass":0:{}}

Difference

Empty objects are removed from the result

Sort Keys

Sorts object keys alphabetically in the output

Comparison with/without option:

Original code

$data = [
    'zebra' => 'striped',
    'apple' => 'red',
    'banana' => 'yellow'
];

With sortKeys: true

a:3:{s:5:"apple";s:3:"red";s:6:"banana";s:6:"yellow";s:5:"zebra";s:7:"striped";}

With sortKeys: false

a:3:{s:5:"zebra";s:7:"striped";s:5:"apple";s:3:"red";s:6:"banana";s:6:"yellow";}

Difference

Object keys are sorted alphabetically in the output

See Beautify indentation options →

What this serializer does

Serialize JSON into valid PHP serialized strings for WordPress, Laravel caches and session storage — entirely in your browser.

Serialize JSON → PHP

Convert JSON data structures into PHP serialized format instantly. Supports arrays, objects, strings, numbers, booleans and null values.

JSON ↔ PHP workflows

Ideal when you need PHP serialize format for WordPress metadata or Laravel cache values while editing data as JSON.

Need to decode instead?

Paste a PHP serialized string into the PHP Unserialize tool to decode it to readable JSON.

How to Serialize PHP Data Online

Paste JSON (or a JSON-compatible structure) into the left editor, adjust serialization options if needed, then click Serialize. FastMinify produces a valid PHP serialized string with correct type prefixes and string lengths — useful for WordPress options, Laravel cache values and session payloads. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server. To decode an existing serialized string instead, use PHP Unserialize.

PHP Serialize vs JSON — When to Use Which

PHP's serialize() format preserves type information including objects and references, while JSON is a universal interchange format. Use PHP serialization when working within PHP ecosystems (WordPress, Laravel, session storage). Use JSON when you need interoperability with JavaScript, APIs, or other languages. Pair this serializer with the JSON tool when you need to minify or pretty-print the JSON side.

PHP Serialize FAQ

Serialize JSON to PHP — privacy-local answers

Why serialize PHP data?

PHP serialization converts arrays and objects into a compact string for databases, sessions or cache. It preserves PHP-specific type information that JSON cannot represent, such as object classes and references.

How does PHP serialization work?

PHP's serialize() encodes data with type prefixes and string length markers. For example, a string becomes s:5:"hello" where s is the type and 5 is the length. Arrays and objects are serialized recursively with their keys and values.

Can I serialize PHP arrays and objects?

Yes. Paste JSON that represents arrays (indexed or associative), nested objects, strings, numbers, booleans and null. The tool converts it to valid PHP serialized format with correct lengths.

What is the difference between PHP serialize and JSON?

PHP serialize preserves PHP-specific types (objects, class names, references) while JSON is a universal format. JSON travels better across languages; PHP serialization retains more PHP type detail. Use this page to encode; use PHP Unserialize to decode.

Is my data processed securely?

Yes. Serialization runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript. No payload is sent to FastMinify servers.

I need to decode a serialized string instead — where?

Open PHP Unserialize. That dedicated page decodes serialized PHP into readable JSON for debugging.

Serialization

Serialize and deserialize PHP data structures beside JSON workflows.

PHP Unserialize

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