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DevUtil

YAML to JSON Converter - Convert YAML to JSON Online

Switch to JSON → YAML
Input YAML
JSON Output

About the YAML to JSON Converter

YAML is everywhere in modern development. Kubernetes manifests, Docker Compose files, GitHub Actions workflows, Ansible playbooks, and countless other tools use YAML as their configuration format. But when you need to feed that data into an API, a JavaScript application, or a tool that only speaks JSON, you need a reliable conversion step. This converter parses your YAML and produces clean, properly formatted JSON output.

Everything runs in your browser. No data is sent to a server, so you can safely convert configuration files that contain secrets, internal URLs, or other sensitive values.

How to Use the Converter

Paste your YAML into the left-hand editor panel. The equivalent JSON appears instantly on the right. Copy the output with the copy button and use it wherever you need valid JSON. The converter handles nested structures, arrays, multi-line strings, and all standard YAML data types.

Features

  • Full YAML 1.2 support. The parser handles the complete YAML 1.2 specification including flow and block styles, anchors, aliases, and merge keys.
  • Accurate type mapping. Strings, integers, floats, booleans, null values, and dates are correctly converted to their JSON equivalents.
  • Instant conversion. Output updates as you type, so you can iterate on your YAML and see the JSON result in real time.
  • Readable output. JSON is formatted with two-space indentation for easy reading and diffing.
  • Client-side processing. Your data stays in your browser. Nothing is uploaded to any server.

Common Use Cases

Developers working with Kubernetes often need to convert manifests to JSON for use with kubectl flags or REST API calls. Teams migrating CI/CD pipelines may need to transform GitHub Actions or GitLab CI configuration into JSON for programmatic manipulation. And anyone debugging YAML parsing issues can paste their file here to see the exact data structure the parser produces, making it easier to spot indentation mistakes or type coercion surprises.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between YAML and JSON?
YAML uses indentation and minimal punctuation to represent data, while JSON relies on braces, brackets, and double quotes. YAML supports comments, multi-line strings, and anchors that JSON does not. JSON has stricter syntax rules, which makes it easier for machines to parse but harder for humans to write by hand.
When should I convert YAML to JSON?
Convert YAML to JSON when you need to pass configuration data to an API that expects JSON, when importing config values into a JavaScript or TypeScript application, or when a tool or library only accepts JSON input. Many CI/CD platforms and cloud services accept both formats, but programmatic access usually requires JSON.
Does the converter handle anchors and aliases?
Yes. The YAML parser resolves anchors (&) and aliases (*) before conversion, so the resulting JSON contains the fully expanded data. Merge keys (<<) are also resolved into the target object.
Are YAML comments preserved in the JSON output?
No. JSON does not support comments, so any comments in your YAML input are discarded during conversion. The data values themselves are preserved accurately.
Can I convert multi-document YAML files?
This converter processes the first YAML document in the input. If your file contains multiple documents separated by '---', only the first document is converted. Split the file into individual documents and convert them one at a time for multi-document files.