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YAML to JSON Converter

Parse YAML configs into valid JSON — nested objects, arrays, and scalars converted automatically

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Parse YAML Configuration Files into JSON

YAML is the dominant format for configuration files in the cloud-native world — Kubernetes, Docker Compose, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Ansible, and Terraform all use it. But when you need to pass that configuration to a JSON-only tool, validate it against a JSON Schema, embed it in a JavaScript application, or send it through an API that expects JSON, you need a reliable converter. This tool parses YAML in the browser and outputs well-formed JSON with your chosen indentation.

Type Coercion

YAML recognizes more scalar types than JSON. The converter maps YAML booleans (true, false, yes, no, on, off) to JSON true/false, YAML null and tilde (~) to JSON null, and integers and floats (including hex 0x, octal 0o, and scientific notation) to JSON numbers. Quoted values are always kept as strings regardless of their content, which matches how YAML itself works.

Block Scalars

YAML's literal block scalar (|) preserves newlines and is commonly used for embedded scripts, SQL, templates, and multi-line descriptions in Kubernetes manifests. The folded block scalar (>) joins lines with spaces, useful for long strings that wrap for readability. Both are converted to JSON strings with the appropriate whitespace.

Comments Are Stripped

YAML allows inline and full-line comments with the # character. JSON has no comment syntax, so comments are removed during conversion. If you need to preserve documentation, consider storing it in a separate field or using the JSON to YAML converter to go back to a commented format later.

Flow Style

YAML supports an inline flow style that looks like JSON: square brackets for sequences and curly braces for mappings. The converter handles both block-style (indentation-based) and flow-style syntax, as well as documents that mix the two — which is common in Helm charts and complex CI configurations.

Privacy

All parsing runs client-side in JavaScript. No data leaves your browser, so it is safe for Kubernetes secrets, environment variable files, and any other sensitive YAML configuration.

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Why convert YAML to JSON?
Many APIs, JavaScript applications, and data pipelines expect JSON. If your source data is in YAML — Kubernetes configs, Docker Compose files, CI/CD pipelines, Ansible playbooks — converting to JSON lets you feed it into tools that only accept JSON, validate it with JSON Schema, or use it in code without a YAML parser dependency.
Does YAML support comments?
Yes. Lines starting with # are comments in YAML, and JSON has no comment syntax. The converter strips all YAML comments during conversion. The JSON output contains only data.
How are YAML multi-line strings handled?
YAML block scalars using | (literal) preserve newlines as-is. The converter joins the indented lines and stores the result as a single JSON string with embedded newline characters (\n). Folded scalars (>) join lines with spaces instead.
What YAML types map to JSON?
YAML true/false/yes/no become JSON booleans. YAML null/~ becomes JSON null. Numbers (integers, floats, hex, octal) become JSON numbers. Everything else becomes a string. Dates are kept as strings since JSON has no native date type.
Can I convert JSON back to YAML?
Yes. Txtory has a JSON to YAML converter for the reverse direction. Use both tools to move between formats as needed.
What YAML features are supported?
The converter handles indentation-based nesting, key-value mappings, arrays (dash syntax), quoted strings (single and double), block scalars (| and >), flow-style arrays and objects, booleans, null, numbers, and comments. It covers the subset of YAML that appears in the vast majority of real-world configuration files.
Is my data sent to a server?
No. Parsing runs entirely in client-side JavaScript. Nothing is uploaded or stored.