Format your JSON, then understand it

Most formatters stop at indentation. This tool shows you the structure behind the data.

Input

Formatted

{
  "users": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "Alice",
      "email": "alice@example.com",
      "active": true
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "name": "Bob",
      "email": null,
      "active": false,
      "nickname": "bobby"
    }
  ]
}

Schema

{
  users: [{
    id: number,
    name: string,
    email: string | null,
    active: boolean,
    nickname?: string
  }]
}

Beyond pretty-printing

A JSON formatter adds whitespace and indentation so you can read the data. That's useful, but it doesn't help you understand what you're looking at. A 5,000-line formatted JSON is still 5,000 lines. You still have to scan through repeated objects to figure out which fields exist, which are optional, and what types they hold.

jsontoschema goes further. Paste your JSON and get a structural overview: types instead of values, arrays collapsed to one representative item, optional fields marked with ?. Five thousand lines become twenty.

Formatted JSON vs. schema

Formatted JSON (excerpt)

{
  "orders": [
    {
      "id": "ord_29a1",
      "total": 129.99,
      "currency": "USD",
      "items": [
        { "sku": "BK-001",
          "qty": 2,
          "price": 24.99 },
        { "sku": "BK-042",
          "qty": 1,
          "price": 80.01 }
      ],
      "shipping": {
        "method": "express",
        "trackingId": "1Z999AA10"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Schema output

{
  orders: [{
    id: string,
    total: number,
    currency: string,
    items: [{
      sku: string,
      qty: number,
      price: number
    }],
    shipping: {
      method: string,
      trackingId: string
    }
  }]
}

Both are readable. But the schema tells you the shape of the entire dataset in half the space, without scrolling through hundreds of repeated order objects.

When to use what

Use a formatter when...

You need to inspect specific values, debug a single response, or copy a particular field. You care about the content.

Use a schema when...

You need to understand the structure, document an API, describe data to an LLM, or compare two endpoints. You care about the shape.

Common questions

Does this tool also format/prettify JSON?

The input panel accepts any valid JSON and displays it with syntax highlighting and proper indentation. But the main output is the schema, not a reformatted version of your data.

Can I use this on minified JSON?

Yes. Paste minified, compressed, or single-line JSON directly. The converter parses it regardless of formatting.

Go beyond formatting

Paste your JSON and see the structure, not just the indentation.

Open the full tool