JSON Formatter

What is JSON Formatter?

JSON Formatter prettifies, validates, and minifies JSON — plus an interactive tree view for exploring nested structures. Switch between Formatted, Tree, Minified, and Table modes. Search keys and values, copy JSON paths for API debugging, and handle large files with lazy expand and virtual scrolling. All processing stays in your browser.

JSON parsing, formatting, and tree rendering happen entirely in-browser; payloads are never uploaded.

How to use JSON Formatter

1. 1Paste raw JSON into the left editor panel.
2. 2Click Format for pretty-print, Tree for interactive exploration, or Minify for compact output.
3. 3In Tree mode, expand/collapse nodes, search with next/prev navigation, and copy paths or values.
4. 4Fix validation errors shown with exact line and column feedback.

Examples

{"user":{"id":42,"name":"Asha"},"roles":["admin","editor"],"active":true}

Expand users[0] → copy path users[0].email for API debugging

Tips & common mistakes

• Use Tree mode search to find keys or values in large JSON quickly.
• Double-click a node to expand it and all nested children.
• Very large JSON (>500 KB) shows a warning — virtual scrolling keeps rendering fast.

Who uses this tool?

• •Debugging REST/GraphQL request and response bodies.
• •Exploring config files with collapsible tree navigation.
• •Copying JSON paths like data.items[0].id for code and tests.

Frequently asked questions

How is the JSON tree view different from formatted text?

Tree view lets you collapse/expand nested objects and arrays, search with highlights, copy JSON paths, and navigate large files with virtual scrolling — formatted view is plain text.

Can the tree viewer handle large JSON files?

Yes. Collapsed nodes are lazy-rendered and only visible rows are drawn (virtual scrolling). Files over ~500 KB show an optional confirmation before rendering.

What is JSON path copy?

Hover any tree node and click 'path' to copy its location like users[0].email — useful when writing queries, tests, or debugging APIs.

Does formatting change JSON data types?

No. Formatting and tree view are read-only visualizations; values and types stay the same.

Is this safe for sensitive API payloads?

Yes. All parsing and tree rendering happen locally — JSON is never uploaded to a server.