Online Formatters
Free online formatters that beautify and validate JSON, XML, HTML, and SQL directly in your browser. Everything runs client-side, so your code never leaves your device.
JSON Formatter
Format, validate, beautify and minify JSON. Lossless — preserves big numbers and key order.
Open JSON →XML Formatter
Format, validate, beautify and minify XML. Keeps CDATA, comments and the declaration intact.
Open XML →HTML Formatter
Format, beautify and minify HTML. Safe handling of <pre>, <script> and <style> via js-beautify.
Open HTML →SQL Formatter
Format and minify SQL queries with consistent keyword casing and clean indentation.
Open SQL →What these formatters do
A formatter — also called a beautifier or pretty-printer — takes messy, unindented, or single-line code and reformats it into a clean, consistent, human-readable layout. It adds line breaks, applies predictable indentation, and aligns structural elements so the underlying logic is easy to follow.
Formatting doesn't change what your code means — it only changes how it looks. A formatted JSON document holds the same keys and values as its compact form, and a beautified SQL query returns the same result as the cramped version. The goal is readability: spotting a missing field, a nested object, or a stray clause is far faster when the structure is visible at a glance.
- JSON Formatter — indent and pretty-print API responses, config files, and data payloads.
- XML Formatter — structure documents, feeds, and configuration files with clear nesting.
- HTML Formatter — clean up markup with consistent tag indentation and spacing.
- SQL Formatter — reformat queries with aligned keywords, clauses, and readable line breaks.
Each tool lives on its own dedicated page with options tailored to that language, so you get formatting rules that match the syntax you're working with.
Format vs. minify vs. validate
These three operations are often confused, but they serve different goals:
- Formatting (beautifying) adds whitespace and line breaks to make code readable. Use it when you're reading, debugging, or reviewing.
- Minifying does the opposite — it removes whitespace, line breaks, and comments to shrink file size for faster loading. Minified code is built for machines, not humans.
- Validating checks whether your code is well-formed and follows the rules of its language. A JSON validator flags a trailing comma or unclosed brace; an XML validator catches mismatched tags. Validation answers "is this correct?" rather than "how should this look?"
Formatting and validating often go hand in hand: when you paste broken JSON into a formatter, it can't pretty-print until the syntax is valid, so the error it reports tells you exactly what to fix.
Private by design
Every formatter on Formatly runs entirely in your browser. When you paste code, it's processed locally by JavaScript on your own device — nothing is uploaded to a server, stored, or transmitted anywhere. There are no accounts, no logging of your content, and no network round-trip for the formatting itself.
That makes these tools safe for sensitive material like production API responses, database queries, internal configuration, or proprietary markup. You can even use them offline once the page has loaded. Privacy isn't a setting you toggle — it's the default, because the code never leaves your machine in the first place.
Guides
Learn the concepts behind these tools:
Online Formatters FAQ
What is the difference between formatting and minifying?
Formatting (beautifying) adds indentation, line breaks, and spacing to make code readable for humans. Minifying removes all that whitespace to make files as small as possible for faster downloads. Both preserve the exact meaning of your code — they only change how it's laid out. Use formatting when you're reading or debugging, and minifying when you're shipping code to production.
Does formatting change what my code does?
No. Formatting only adjusts whitespace, indentation, and line breaks — the data, keys, values, tags, and query logic stay identical. A formatted JSON object has the same structure as its compact version, and a beautified SQL statement returns the same results. The output is functionally equivalent to your input; it's just easier to read.
Is my data uploaded to a server when I use these formatters?
No. Every formatter runs 100% client-side, meaning all processing happens in your own browser using local JavaScript. Your code is never uploaded, stored, or sent over the network. This makes the tools safe for confidential data like API keys, database queries, and internal configuration files. You can verify this by disconnecting from the internet after the page loads — the formatters still work.
What's the difference between formatting and validating?
Formatting reshapes valid code into a clean layout. Validating checks whether the code follows its language's syntax rules — for example, flagging a trailing comma in JSON or a mismatched tag in XML. The two work together: most formatters need valid input before they can pretty-print, so a formatting error often doubles as a validation message that points you straight to the problem.
Which formatters are available?
Formatly's Online Formatters hub includes dedicated tools for JSON, XML, HTML, and SQL. Each one has its own page with options suited to that language, such as indentation depth and keyword casing. Just pick the tool that matches your code, paste it in, and get clean, readable output instantly.
Do I need to install anything or create an account?
No. There's nothing to install and no sign-up required. The formatters are free web tools that load in any modern browser. Because all the work happens locally on your device, there are no accounts, no usage limits tied to a login, and no logging of the content you paste — just open the page and start formatting.
Can I format large files with these tools?
Yes. Since processing happens directly in your browser, performance depends on your own device rather than a server queue or upload limit. Most everyday files — large API responses, lengthy SQL scripts, or sizable XML documents — format quickly. Very large inputs may take a moment to render, but your data still never leaves your machine, keeping the whole operation private.