JSON to YAML Converter
Paste your JSON below and get YAML instantly. The conversion happens entirely on your device — nothing is uploaded — so it's safe for private data and works offline once loaded.
Example: JSON → YAML
JSON in
{
"name": "CalcCafe",
"tools": ["json", "yaml"],
"rating": 4.9
}YAML out
name: CalcCafe
tools:
- json
- yaml
rating: 4.9
How it works
The converter parses your JSON into an in-memory data structure, then serialises that structure as YAML. Because both steps run client-side in JavaScript, conversion is instant and your data never touches a network. The same engine powers every JSON / YAML / XML / CSV pairing, so results stay consistent across directions — you can round-trip JSON → YAML and back without surprises.
Tips for clean YAML
- Use the From / To selectors to switch formats, or the ⇄ button to reverse the conversion and reuse the output as input.
- Set the indent to match your project's style (2 or 4 spaces).
- Invalid input shows a clear error message pointing at the problem instead of failing silently.
Good to know
This JSON to YAML Converter turns a block of JSON into equivalent YAML right inside your browser. It's aimed at developers and DevOps engineers who get data in JSON form — an API response, a package.json snippet, a config export — but need it as YAML for tools that prefer that syntax, such as Docker Compose, Kubernetes manifests, GitHub Actions workflows, Ansible playbooks, or CI pipeline files.
Reach for it whenever you're translating between an API or code that speaks JSON and infrastructure that speaks YAML, or when you simply want a more readable, comment-friendly version of a dense JSON object. Because everything runs client-side, it's also a safe choice for config that contains internal hostnames, environment values, or other data you'd rather not paste into a remote service.
Reading the output is straightforward: braces and brackets disappear, object keys become key: value mappings, and arrays become dash-prefixed sequences nested under their parent. Quotes are dropped from plain strings but kept where YAML would otherwise misread the value, so check that strings like "yes", "true", "01", or "1.0" stay quoted — unquoted, YAML may parse them as a boolean, an octal, or a trimmed number.
A practical caveat: YAML is indentation-sensitive, so match the indent setting to your project (2 spaces is the norm for Kubernetes and Compose). The converter carries data values faithfully but cannot invent comments, anchors, or multi-document separators — those YAML-only features have no JSON source to come from, so you'll add them by hand after converting.
Frequently asked questions
Why convert JSON to YAML?
YAML is easier for humans to read and edit — it's the standard for config files (Docker Compose, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, CI pipelines). Converting your JSON to YAML gives you the same data in a cleaner, comment-friendly format.
Does the conversion preserve data types?
Yes. Numbers, booleans and null are kept as YAML scalars, strings stay quoted where needed, and nested objects/arrays become YAML mappings and sequences.
Is my data uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript — your data never leaves your device and nothing is sent to a server.
Is this converter free?
Yes, completely free with no sign-up, and no limits. It even works offline once the page has loaded.
People also ask
What is the difference between JSON and YAML?
Both represent the same kinds of structured data (objects, arrays, strings, numbers, booleans, null), but JSON uses braces, brackets, and quotes while YAML uses indentation and dashes. YAML is generally easier for people to read and supports comments, whereas JSON is more compact and is the common format for APIs.
Is YAML a superset of JSON?
Yes. Since YAML 1.2, valid JSON is also valid YAML, which means a YAML parser can read JSON directly. The reverse is not true: YAML features like comments and anchors have no JSON equivalent.
How are JSON arrays represented in YAML?
A JSON array becomes a YAML sequence, with each element on its own line prefixed by a dash and a space (- item), indented under its key. Nested objects inside the array are indented further beneath each dash.
Does converting JSON to YAML keep the key order?
YAML mappings, like JSON objects, do not formally guarantee key order, but most converters and parsers preserve the order they were given. Tools that read the YAML by key name are unaffected by order in any case.
Why do some strings stay quoted in the YAML output?
Quotes are kept when an unquoted value would be misinterpreted by YAML — for example strings that look like booleans (yes, no, true), numbers, dates, or that contain special characters such as colons. Keeping them quoted preserves the original string type.
Can I convert YAML back to JSON?
Yes. The same site offers a YAML to JSON converter, and you can also use the reverse (swap) button on this page to flip the direction and reuse the output as input for a round trip.
Will JSON comments survive conversion to YAML?
Standard JSON does not allow comments, so there are none to carry over. YAML supports comments using the # symbol, but you would add those manually after converting.
Is it safe to convert sensitive config files here?
The conversion runs entirely in your browser with JavaScript and nothing is sent to a server, so the data stays on your device. As with any tool, confirm you trust the page and that it is loaded over HTTPS before pasting confidential data.
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