YAML to JSON Converter

No. JSON has no comment syntax, so YAML comments (lines starting with #) are stripped during conversion. This is by design — the JSON output contains only data, not documentation. If you need to preserve comments, keep the original YAML file alongside the JSON output.

Yes. YAML anchors (&anchor-name) and aliases (*anchor-name) are fully resolved. The JSON output contains the expanded, dereferenced values. Example: if &defaults defines a block and another section uses <<: *defaults, the JSON output contains the merged key-value pairs directly.

Pretty-print adds indentation and newlines — easier to read and debug. Minified removes all whitespace — smaller file size, suitable for API payloads and storage. Both represent identical data. Use pretty-print to verify the conversion result, then switch to minified for production use.

YAML null / ~ → JSON null. YAML true / false / yes / no / on / off → JSON boolean true/false. YAML integers and floats → JSON numbers. YAML multiline strings (| or > style) → JSON single-line strings with \n characters. YAML dates (2023-01-01) → JSON string "2023-01-01" (JSON has no date type). YAML sequences → JSON arrays. YAML mappings → JSON objects.

The most common issues: mixed tabs and spaces in indentation (YAML requires consistent spaces only — never tabs for indentation), missing space after colon (key:value fails, key: value works), unclosed quotes, and duplicate keys in the same mapping. The tool displays a specific error message pointing to the problematic line.

A YAML file can contain multiple independent documents separated by --- (three dashes). This tool converts the first document to JSON. If you need all documents, split the YAML at --- boundaries and convert each section separately.

No. All parsing and conversion runs in your browser via JavaScript. Your YAML never leaves your device. You can disconnect from the internet and the tool works identically.