JSON to YAML Converter
Convert JSON to YAML online. Produces clean block-style YAML and automatically quotes ambiguous values (yes, 007) so nothing changes type. Runs in your browser.
What was produced
Import from File
Drag & drop a file here
or
Supports .txt, .csv, .log, .json and other text files
All conversion happens locally in your browser. No data is sent to any server. Your JSON stays completely private.
What It Does
This tool rewrites JSON as YAML — the indentation-based format used for most modern configuration: Kubernetes, Docker Compose, GitHub Actions, Ansible, and more. Objects turn into mappings, arrays into dash-prefixed sequences, and depth is shown by indentation instead of braces and brackets, which is what makes YAML pleasant to read and edit. The important part is correctness: YAML is famous for the 'Norway problem', where the string no is read as the boolean false, and for turning codes like 007 into numbers. This converter detects any string that YAML would misread and quotes it, so the meaning of your data is preserved. It then reports what it did — how many values it had to protect, and the size of the structure — so there are no silent surprises.
When to Use It
- You have a JSON config or API response and need it as YAML for a Kubernetes manifest, Docker Compose file, or CI pipeline.
- You're moving settings from a JSON-based tool to a YAML-based one and want a faithful, ready-to-paste conversion.
- You want the more readable, comment-friendly YAML form of a nested JSON object for documentation or review.
- You need to be sure ambiguous values like country codes, ZIP codes, or the literal words yes/no survive the conversion without changing type.
Worked Examples
{"name":"web","replicas":3,"ports":[80,443]}
A simple object becomes a mapping with a sequence. name and replicas keep their types, and ports becomes a two-item YAML list.
{"service":{"enabled":true,"region":"us-east-1"},"tags":["prod","web"]}
Nested objects become indented mappings and arrays become block sequences — the readable, block-style layout you'd use in a real config file.
{"country":"no","zip":"007","active":"yes"}
The footgun case: the strings no, 007 and yes would be misread by YAML as a boolean, a number, and a boolean. The tool quotes all three and reports that it protected them.
Features
How to Use
1. Paste or upload JSON in the input area. 2. Pick 2 or 4-space indentation. 3. The YAML appears instantly, with a panel noting the structure size and any values that were quoted for safety. 4. Click Copy or Download to save the result.
Common Mistakes
- Hand-writing YAML with unquoted yes/no or leading-zero values. YAML reinterprets them; let the tool quote them for you instead of debugging a type change later.
- Using tabs for indentation. YAML forbids tab indentation — always use spaces, which this tool does automatically.
- Assuming all JSON maps cleanly to YAML comments. YAML supports comments but JSON has none, so nothing is added — the conversion is data-only.
- Pasting YAML back into a strict parser without checking quoting. If you edit the output by hand and remove the quotes the tool added, you can reintroduce the very type bugs it prevented.