JSON ↔ YAML Converter

JSON ↔ YAML Converter
About JSON & YAML

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data format, widely used in APIs and configuration files.

YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) is a human-readable data serialization format, popular in DevOps and configuration management.

Common Use Cases
  • Kubernetes manifests
  • Docker Compose files
  • GitHub Actions workflows
  • Ansible playbooks
  • CI/CD configurations
  • OpenAPI/Swagger specs
YAML vs JSON
FeatureYAMLJSON
CommentsYesNo
ReadabilityHighMedium
Parsing SpeedSlowerFaster
Web APIsRareStandard

JSON to YAML and Back

Convert in either direction with nested structures and arrays preserved. The usual reason to be here: a tool expects YAML (Docker Compose, Kubernetes, CI pipelines) and the data you have is JSON, or vice versa. Since valid JSON is technically valid YAML, the conversion is lossless both ways - with the caveat that YAML comments cannot survive a round trip through JSON.

Which format to standardise on for configs, and where YAML's flexibility bites (implicit typing, the Norway problem), is weighed in JSON vs YAML. To validate or reformat the JSON side first, use the JSON formatter.

Related Tools

JSON Formatter CSV ↔ JSON JSON Diff Code Minifier

JSON/YAML Questions

JSON for APIs and strict data exchange. YAML for config files humans edit (Docker Compose, K8s, CI/CD). YAML has comments and is more readable; JSON has stricter parsing and fewer gotchas.

Sort of. YAML 1.2 is a superset of JSON - any valid JSON is valid YAML. But YAML adds features (comments, anchors, multiline strings) that JSON lacks.

Indentation (spaces only, no tabs). Unquoted yes/no becoming booleans. The infamous Norway problem (NO = false). Multiline strings needing special syntax (| or >). When in doubt, quote your strings.

No. JSON has no comment syntax, so YAML comments are lost during conversion. If you need to keep comments, store them separately or stick with YAML.