What is the difference between formatting and beautifying JSON?

Nothing. Both mean adding line breaks and indentation so the document is readable. TheJSON uses one engine for its formatter and beautifier pages.

Does formatting change my data?

No. Only whitespace between tokens changes. Strings, numbers, booleans, null and the order of keys are preserved unless you explicitly choose Sort keys.

Should I use 2 or 4 spaces for JSON?

Match the code base the file lives in. JavaScript and TypeScript projects almost always use 2 spaces; Python, Java and .NET projects often use 4. Either is valid JSON.

JSON Formatter

Pretty print minified JSON with 2 or 4 space indentation, sort keys, and minify it back.

Format JSON in one click

Paste minified or messy JSON and press Format (or ⌘⇧F). The formatter re-indents every object and array, puts each property on its own line and keeps the value types exactly as they were. Switch back to a single line with Minify whenever you need a compact payload again. The tree on the right stays in sync so you can verify the structure as you go.

Formatting options

Indentation. Two spaces is the JavaScript and npm convention; four spaces matches many Python and Java code bases.
Sort keys. Orders every object’s properties alphabetically, recursively. Sorted output gives stable diffs in Git and makes it easy to spot a missing field between two responses.
Validation while you type. A syntax error is reported with its line and column and a plain-English message, so a stray trailing comma never becomes a mystery.

Like every tool on TheJSON, this runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you paste is uploaded, logged or stored on a server, so it is safe to use with API responses that contain tokens or customer data.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between formatting and beautifying JSON?: Nothing. Both mean adding line breaks and indentation so the document is readable. TheJSON uses one engine for its formatter and beautifier pages.
Does formatting change my data?: No. Only whitespace between tokens changes. Strings, numbers, booleans, null and the order of keys are preserved unless you explicitly choose Sort keys.
Should I use 2 or 4 spaces for JSON?: Match the code base the file lives in. JavaScript and TypeScript projects almost always use 2 spaces; Python, Java and .NET projects often use 4. Either is valid JSON.