YAML to JSON
Turn YAML configuration files and API specs into JSON, and find out straight away if the YAML is broken.
or drop them here · up to 50 MB per file, free
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YAML to JSON in 3 steps
- Select your YAML file (.yaml or .yml), or drop it on the box.
- Click Convert to JSON.
- Download the indented JSON file.
Why convert YAML to JSON
YAML is easy for people to write, which is why Kubernetes manifests, Docker Compose files, GitHub Actions workflows and OpenAPI specs use it. Many tools, libraries and APIs, though, only accept JSON. Converting also works as a validator: an indentation mistake that YAML would silently read in a different way becomes visible in the JSON structure.
The converter follows the YAML core schema, so numbers, true, false and null become real JSON values, while dates such as 2026-03-15 stay as text exactly as written. Anchors and aliases are expanded, comments are dropped because JSON has none, and a file with several documents separated by --- becomes a JSON list.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert YAML to JSON?
Select your .yaml or .yml file and click Convert to JSON. You download the same data as indented JSON. If the YAML has an error, such as a tab used for indentation or a missing colon, you see the message with the line number instead.
What happens to YAML comments?
JSON has no comments, so they are left out of the result. Everything else is kept: keys, values, lists and nesting. If you need the comments later, keep the original YAML file next to the JSON.
What about files with several YAML documents?
A YAML file can hold several documents separated by a line with three dashes, as Kubernetes manifests often do. In that case the JSON is a list with one entry per document, in the same order as in the file.
Why is "no" not turned into false?
Older YAML versions read yes, no, on and off as true or false, which caused famous bugs such as the country code NO for Norway turning into false. This converter uses the modern YAML 1.2 rules, where only true and false are booleans.
Is my file uploaded to a server?
No. The YAML is converted inside your browser on your own device, so configuration files with hostnames, keys or tokens never leave your computer. Once the page has loaded, the converter keeps working even without an internet connection.