JSON to YAML Converter

About JSON to YAML Converter

Convert JSON data to YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) format, a human-friendly data serialization language commonly used for configuration files. YAML is more readable than JSON and supports comments.

Key Features

• Block Style: Clean, indented YAML format for readability
• Flow Style: Optional compact JSON-like format
• Smart Quoting: Automatically quotes strings when necessary
• Multiline Strings: Preserves multiline text with pipe notation
• Key Sorting: Alphabetically sort keys for consistent output
• Comments: Optional header comments for documentation
• Custom Indentation: Configure indent size (2-8 spaces)
• Type Preservation: Maintains booleans, numbers, and null values

How to Use

1. Input JSON Data: Paste your JSON or upload a .json file
2. Configure Options: Set indent size, sorting, and style preferences
3. Review Output: The YAML output updates automatically
4. Copy or Download: Use the Copy or Download button to save your .yaml file
5. Use in Applications: Use the YAML file in your configuration

Example Conversion

JSON Input:

{
  "version": "1.0",
  "database": {
    "host": "localhost",
    "port": 5432,
    "enabled": true
  },
  "features": ["auth", "api"]
}

YAML Output:

# Generated YAML
# Converted at: 2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z

version: "1.0"
database:
  host: localhost
  port: 5432
  enabled: true
features:
  - auth
  - api

YAML Syntax Elements

• Key-Value: key: value for mappings
• Lists: - item for sequences
• Nested Objects: Indentation defines structure
• Comments: # Comment text
• Multiline: | for literal blocks, > for folded blocks
• Flow Style: [1, 2, 3] or {key: value}
• Anchors: &anchor and *alias for references
• Null: null, ~, or empty value
• Booleans: true, false, yes, no, on, off

Data Type Mapping

• String: JSON strings → YAML strings (quoted if needed)
• Number: JSON numbers → YAML numbers (unquoted)
• Boolean: JSON true/false → YAML true/false
• Null: JSON null → YAML null
• Array: JSON arrays → YAML sequences (- items)
• Object: JSON objects → YAML mappings (key: value)

Block vs Flow Style

• Block Style: Indented, multi-line format (default, more readable)
• Flow Style: Compact, JSON-like format (enabled with checkbox)
• Mixed: Can combine both styles in same document

Common Use Cases

• Configuration Files: Docker Compose, Kubernetes, CI/CD configs
• Ansible Playbooks: Infrastructure as code automation
• Kubernetes Manifests: Container orchestration configs
• GitHub Actions: Workflow configuration files
• OpenAPI Specs: API documentation in YAML
• Data Serialization: Human-readable data storage

YAML vs JSON

• Readability: YAML is more human-readable with less syntax
• Comments: YAML supports comments, JSON doesn't
• Syntax: YAML uses indentation, JSON uses braces
• Quotes: YAML often doesn't need quotes for strings
• Multiline: YAML has better multiline string support
• Superset: JSON is valid YAML (but not vice versa)

String Quoting Rules

Strings are automatically quoted when they:

• Start with numbers: "123abc" needs quotes
• Match booleans: "true", "false", "yes", "no" need quotes
• Contain special chars: : [ ] { } , # & * ! | > @ ` " '
• Have whitespace: Leading or trailing spaces need quotes
• Are empty: Empty strings need quotes

Best Practices

• Use 2 Spaces: Standard YAML indentation is 2 spaces
• Add Comments: Document configuration options
• Sort Keys: Enable for consistent, version-control-friendly output
• Block Style: Use block style for better readability
• Validate Output: Test YAML in your target application
• Avoid Tabs: YAML doesn't allow tabs for indentation

Privacy & Security

All conversions happen locally in your browser. Your JSON data is never uploaded to any server, ensuring complete privacy and security.