Overview
Working with JSON data is a daily task for developers and data analysts. A formatter takes valid JSON and makes it readable with proper indentation. A validator checks whether your JSON is syntactically correct and pinpoints errors.
The JSON Formatter & Validator pretty-prints, minifies, and reformats JSON data. The JSON Beautifier checks your JSON for syntax errors and tells you exactly where problems occur.
Key Differences
**Purpose:** The formatter makes JSON readable. The validator checks if JSON is syntactically correct.
**Input:** The formatter expects valid JSON and reformats it. The validator accepts any text and tells you if it is valid JSON.
**Output:** Formatting produces indented, readable JSON. Validation produces a pass/fail result with error details.
**Error handling:** The formatter may fail silently on invalid JSON. The validator explicitly shows error locations and descriptions.
**When to use:** Format after you know JSON is valid and need to read it. Validate when you suspect JSON might be broken or malformed.
When to Use the JSON Formatter
- You have minified JSON from an API response and need to read it - You want to standardize indentation (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs) - You need to minify JSON for production use or smaller payloads - You are documenting API responses and need clean, readable examples - You want to compare two JSON objects visually by formatting them consistently
When to Use the JSON Validator
- You are debugging an API that returns malformed JSON - You are writing JSON by hand and want to catch syntax errors - You need to verify a configuration file before deploying - You want to find the exact line and character where JSON syntax breaks - You are processing user-submitted JSON and need to validate it before parsing
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can the formatter also validate? A: Most formatters will fail or show an error if JSON is invalid, but they do not provide detailed error messages. Use the validator for precise error locations.
Q: What are the most common JSON errors? A: Trailing commas after the last item, single quotes instead of double quotes, unquoted keys, and missing closing brackets or braces.
Q: Does formatting change the data? A: No. Formatting only changes whitespace and indentation. The actual data, keys, and values remain identical.
Q: Can I validate JSON against a schema? A: The validator checks syntax (is it valid JSON?). Schema validation (does it match a specific structure?) is a separate step typically done with tools like JSON Schema.
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