What is the difference between YAML to JSON and JSON to YAML conversion?

YAML to JSON conversion produces a compact, machine-readable format that's ideal for APIs and data interchange. JSON to YAML conversion produces a human-friendly, comment-supporting format ideal for configuration files. Both formats represent the same data — it's about which format your toolchain needs.

Can this tool handle all YAML data types?

Yes. The converter handles strings, numbers, booleans, null values, arrays, and nested objects. YAML-specific features like anchors and aliases are resolved to their final values during conversion. Multi-line strings are converted to JSON string with newline characters.

What happens to YAML comments when converting to JSON?

JSON does not support comments, so YAML comments are stripped during conversion. This is expected behavior — JSON is a pure data format with no comment syntax. If you need to preserve annotations, consider keeping the YAML version alongside the generated JSON.

Is the conversion 100% reversible?

Mostly, but not always. Converting YAML to JSON and back will preserve all data values. However, YAML features like anchors, aliases, and explicit type tags are resolved during conversion and won't round-trip exactly. Comments are also lost. For pure data (no special YAML features), round-trips are lossless.

Why does YAML show 'true' but JSON shows 'true' as well — are they the same?

Yes, both represent boolean true, but YAML also recognizes 'yes', 'on', 'True', 'TRUE' as boolean true (in YAML 1.1). When converting to JSON, all of these are normalized to the JSON boolean true. This is one area where YAML's flexibility can cause surprises — quoting these values in YAML preserves them as strings.

YAML to JSON Converter

Convert YAML to JSON or JSON to YAML instantly in your browser. Supports nested objects, arrays, and all YAML data types.

Indent

YAML Input

How to Use

Convert YAML to JSON or JSON to YAML instantly in your browser. Supports nested objects, arrays, and all YAML data types.

1Select the conversion direction: YAML → JSON or JSON → YAML using the mode buttons.
2Paste your YAML or JSON into the input textarea, or click 'Load Example' to see sample data.
3Choose your preferred indentation (2 or 4 spaces) from the Indent selector.
4Click Convert. The result appears below. Click 'Copy to Clipboard' to use it.

Key Features

Bidirectional — convert YAML to JSON or JSON to YAML with one click
Configurable indentation — choose 2 or 4 spaces for output formatting
Full type support — handles strings, numbers, booleans, nulls, arrays, nested objects
Resolves YAML anchors and aliases to final values automatically
100% browser-based — your data never leaves your device

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More

YAML to JSON Converter — Complete Guide with Examples