YAML Formatter

Beautify and format your YAML code online with configurable indentation, line width, key sorting, and style options.

Tools
YAML Formatter
Add to Favorites Remove from Favorites Share on Facebook Share on X
Format YAML Open YAML File... Clear Input Sample YAML
Download YAML Copy YAML

About the YAML Formatter Tool

This free online tool helps you format and beautify your YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) code, making it clean, readable, and consistently indented. Paste your YAML data, upload a file, or use the sample, choose your formatting options, and get perfectly structured YAML output.

Why Format YAML?

YAML relies heavily on indentation for structure. Proper formatting is crucial:

  • Readability: Clear indentation makes complex data structures, lists, and nested objects easy to understand at a glance.
  • Preventing Errors: Incorrect indentation is a common source of errors in YAML. Formatting helps catch and prevent these issues.
  • Configuration Files: YAML is widely used for configuration (e.g., Docker Compose, Kubernetes, application settings). Consistent formatting is vital for managing these files.
  • Collaboration: Ensures everyone on a team follows the same indentation rules, making code reviews easier.

How to Use This Tool

  • Paste your YAML code into the input editor on the left.
  • Alternatively, click "Open YAML File..." to upload a .yaml or .yml file.
  • Select your desired number of spaces for "Indentation" or choose 'Tab' (which defaults to 2 spaces).
  • Optionally, set a maximum "Line Width", enable "Sort Keys Alphabetically", or enable "Force Block Style" to prevent inline arrays/objects.
  • Click the "Format YAML" button.
  • The formatted YAML code, structured according to your options, will appear in the output editor.
  • If your input YAML has syntax errors, an error message will be displayed instead.
  • Use the "Copy YAML" or "Download YAML" buttons to save the result.

This converter uses the reliable js-yaml library directly in your browser, ensuring your data is processed securely without being sent to any server.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a YAML Formatter do?

A YAML Formatter takes YAML data, which might have inconsistent or incorrect indentation, and rewrites it with standardized indentation (using spaces) and structure based on selected options like line width and key sorting, making it valid, readable, and easy to understand.

Can I use tabs for indentation?

YAML itself strongly discourages tabs for indentation, and the standard practice (enforced by most tools, including the library used here) is to use spaces. While the option exists in the dropdown, selecting "Tab" will currently format using 2 spaces for compatibility with the `js-yaml` library.

What does 'Sort Keys Alphabetically' do?

When checked, this option will rearrange the keys within each mapping (object) in your YAML data into alphabetical order. This can make complex configuration files more predictable and easier to compare.

What does 'Force Block Style' do?

Normally, YAML can represent simple lists or objects on a single line (e.g., `items: [a, b]` or `point: {x: 1, y: 2}`). Checking this option forces the formatter to always use the multi-line block style (using indentation and hyphens/key-value pairs on separate lines), which is often preferred for readability in configuration files.

Will this tool fix logical errors in my YAML?

No. This tool formats syntactically valid YAML. It will report errors if the basic structure is broken (e.g., incorrect indentation leading to parsing failure), but it won't understand or fix errors related to the meaning or logic of your configuration data.

Is my YAML data uploaded to a server?

No. All formatting is done locally in your browser using the JavaScript js-yaml library. Your data is never sent to our servers.

Is this online YAML formatter free?

Yes, this tool is completely free to use online.

Tools