JSON Formatter & Viewer — About

Understand how the formatter works, data retention policies, and when to use alternative workflows.

Key points

People-first documentation

This page summarizes what the tool does, how we secure your data, and the ideal use cases so AI search and teammates can trust the workflow.

Privacy and security stance

Processing happens entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and persistence stays on-device via Dexie/localStorage.

Practical limitations

Best for payloads under 5 MB. For massive exports consider streaming or CLI tooling to avoid memory spikes.

The JSON Formatter & Viewer was built to make inspection and validation tasks frictionless for product engineers, data analysts, and support teams. It pairs a familiar text editor with a structured tree explorer so you can toggle between raw and rich representations without switching tools.

Key capabilities

Instant format/minify actions powered by the native JSON parser.
Dexie-backed local persistence that respects private browsing and storage limits.
Share links that encode payloads with URL-safe Base64 for easy collaboration.
Accessible controls with keyboard shortcuts and clear focus states.

Performance profile

To protect Core Web Vitals, the advanced JSONEditor viewer stays disabled until you opt in. Visitors land on a lightweight textarea first, and the 300 kB dependency streams in only after they enable the tree/code view.

Runtime Web Vitals telemetry now reports LCP, INP, CLS, and more so regressions surface in analytics alongside Lighthouse CI budgets.

Roadmap callouts

Upcoming iterations will add optional JSON Schema validation, richer examples, and guided prompts for AI copilots. Let us know which enhancements would unblock your workflow.

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How to use this tool

Step 1
What the tool does
Reformats JSON with two-space indentation, provides a synchronized tree view for nested data, and surfaces parse errors with exact locations.
Step 2
How to use it effectively
Paste payloads, drag in files, or reopen share links. Use the tree view to inspect complex objects and switch back to code mode for quick edits.
Step 3
Limitations and best practices
Keep sensitive data local, avoid sharing links publicly, and fall back to CLI tools when you exceed browser memory limits.

Frequently asked questions

When should I enable persistence?: Turn on persistence when you routinely inspect the same payload. The data stays in your browser database and can be cleared with the toggle on the main tool.
Does the formatter support JSON Schema validation?: Schema upload is on the roadmap. Today, the tool focuses on syntax validation and visual inspection. We recommend using ajv or Spectral for automated schema checks.
Can I compare two JSON payloads?: For differences, pair this formatter with the Text Diff Viewer tool. Format both payloads, then copy them into the diff utility for a side-by-side comparison.

The formatter is designed for client-side troubleshooting and QA. Review organization security policies before storing regulated data locally.