YAML to JSON Converter

YAML to JSON Converter

YAML is popular for configuration files, while JSON is the standard for APIs and application data. This YAML to JSON converter helps you transform YAML into strict JSON in seconds. It runs entirely in your browser, so your data stays private while you convert, validate, and inspect results.

Why convert YAML to JSON

Many platforms use YAML because it is human-friendly and supports comments, but APIs and services typically expect JSON. Converting YAML to JSON makes it easier to integrate configuration data into applications, validate schemas, and test API payloads. It is also useful when you need to feed YAML data into a system that only accepts JSON.

How YAML maps to JSON

YAML and JSON share similar data structures: maps, arrays, strings, numbers, booleans, and nulls. The converter maps YAML maps to JSON objects and YAML sequences to JSON arrays. YAML features like anchors and aliases are resolved into concrete values so the JSON is explicit and easy to work with.

How to use the converter

1. Paste or upload a .yaml or .yml file on the left.
2. Click Convert YAML → JSON.
3. Review the JSON output in Tree, Code, or Text mode.
4. Copy or download the JSON as a .json file.

Quick tutorial: YAML to JSON in real projects

This tutorial targets common long‑tail use cases so you can convert YAML to JSON correctly the first time.

1) Convert Kubernetes YAML to JSON

1. Paste your Kubernetes manifest YAML.
2. Choose Multi-document YAML → Auto to keep multiple resources.
3. Click Convert YAML → JSON and download the JSON.

Tip: If your file has multiple resources separated by ---, the JSON output will be an array.

2) Convert GitHub Actions or CI YAML to JSON

1. Paste the YAML file (e.g., .github/workflows/*.yml).
2. Enable Auto convert for instant updates.
3. Use JSON indent for readable output.

3) Convert Docker Compose YAML to JSON

1. Paste the compose file.
2. Convert and validate the JSON output.
3. Use the JSON in tooling or APIs that require strict JSON.

4) Convert multi‑document YAML to a single JSON array

1. Select Multi-document YAML → Always array.
2. Convert to get a JSON array of documents.

5) Convert YAML with anchors and aliases

1. Paste YAML that uses &anchor and *alias.
2. Convert to JSON to expand references into full values.

Example conversion

YAML input:

name: Avi
active: true
skills:
  - Java
  - Spring

JSON output:

{
  "name": "Avi",
  "active": true,
  "skills": ["Java", "Spring"]
}

This JSON is ready for API requests or validation.

Common use cases

• Convert Kubernetes manifests into JSON for programmatic validation.
• Transform CI/CD YAML into JSON for automated processing.
• Convert configuration files into API payloads.
• Normalize YAML data for JSON-based storage systems.

Common errors and fixes

• Indentation errors: YAML depends on correct spacing. Fix uneven indentation before converting.
• Tabs in YAML: YAML does not allow tabs for indentation. Replace tabs with spaces.
• Unquoted strings: Values like on, off, yes, and no may become booleans. Quote them if they are strings.
• Duplicate keys: YAML allows duplicate keys but JSON does not. Remove duplicates to avoid data loss.
• Anchors and aliases: YAML references are expanded into real values in JSON. Review the output if you rely on references.

Targeted long‑tail keywords (examples)

These phrases reflect how people search for YAML to JSON conversions in real workflows:

• convert yaml to json online free
• yml to json converter for kubernetes
• yaml to json for github actions workflow
• docker compose yaml to json converter
• multi document yaml to json array
• yaml anchors aliases to json
• convert yaml to json without uploading
• yaml to json for api payload
• large yaml to json in browser

Developer snippets for long‑tail queries

Use these quick snippets to match common searches like yaml to json nodejs, convert yaml to json python, and yaml to json powershell.

Node.js (yaml to json nodejs)

npm i js-yaml
node -e "const fs=require('fs');const yaml=require('js-yaml');const y=fs.readFileSync('input.yml','utf8');console.log(JSON.stringify(yaml.load(y),null,2));"

TypeScript (yaml to json typescript)

import fs from "fs";
import yaml from "js-yaml";
const y = fs.readFileSync("input.yml", "utf8");
const obj = yaml.load(y);
console.log(JSON.stringify(obj, null, 2));

Python (convert yaml to json python)

pip install pyyaml
python - <<'PY'
import json, yaml
with open("input.yml") as f:
    data = yaml.safe_load(f)
print(json.dumps(data, indent=2))
PY

PowerShell (convert yaml to json powershell)

Get-Content .\input.yml | ConvertFrom-Yaml | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 99

yq (yaml to json yq)

yq -o=json '.' input.yml

kubectl (kubectl convert yaml to json)

kubectl convert -f input.yml -o json

.NET (yaml to json .net)

dotnet add package YamlDotNet
// Parse YAML then serialize to JSON using System.Text.Json

OpenAPI / Swagger (openapi yaml to json schema, convert yaml to json swagger)

Paste your openapi.yaml or swagger.yml and convert to JSON to feed validators or tooling that expects JSON.

Best practices

• Validate YAML before conversion to avoid parsing errors.
• Use consistent indentation (two spaces is a common standard).
• Keep YAML small for browser performance when possible.
• Validate the output JSON with JSON Validator.
• Format JSON with JSON Formatter for readability.

Multi-document YAML

YAML can include multiple documents separated by ---. When you convert multi-document YAML, each document becomes a separate JSON object. If your workflow expects a single JSON document, split the YAML into one file per document before converting.

Anchors and aliases

YAML supports anchors and aliases to reuse values. During conversion, those references are expanded into actual values in JSON. This makes the JSON more explicit but can increase size. If you rely on anchors for maintainability, keep the original YAML as a source of truth.

DevOps and configuration tips

For Kubernetes or CI/CD files, make sure the JSON output still matches the required schema. Conversion only changes syntax, not structure. If a tool expects keys like apiVersion or spec, verify them after conversion. Use staging or validation tools to confirm the JSON is accepted.

Performance notes

Large YAML files can consume significant browser memory. If conversion feels slow, remove unused sections or convert smaller chunks. You can also use this tool to spot-check a portion of the YAML before processing the full file in a script.

Type gotchas

YAML has implicit typing rules that can surprise you. Values like 2024-01-01 may be parsed as dates, while 00123 may lose leading zeros. If you need precise string values, wrap them in quotes in the YAML before conversion.

Multi-document example

If your YAML contains multiple documents separated by ---, the output will include multiple JSON objects. For example, a Kubernetes file with several resources will become an array of JSON objects. Split documents if your target system expects a single JSON payload.

Security and validation

Conversion does not validate business rules. If the JSON is going to an API, validate it against a schema or run it through your application tests. Keep sensitive configuration values out of public channels even though conversion happens locally.

YAML booleans and nulls

YAML accepts many boolean keywords such as true, false, yes, and no. These values become JSON booleans, which may be unexpected if you intended to store strings. Quote them in YAML if you need string values. Null values also convert to JSON null.

Schema validation after conversion

If your JSON must follow a schema, validate it after conversion. This is important for CI pipelines or configuration systems that enforce strict structures. Using JSON Validator helps catch missing keys or incorrect types before deployment.

Comments and documentation

YAML comments are removed during conversion because JSON does not support comments. If those comments contain important context, copy them into documentation or keep the original YAML file for reference.

For teams that rely on comments, keep a source YAML file and treat JSON as a generated artifact.

This keeps documentation close to the configuration.

It also makes reviews easier for non-technical stakeholders.

Clear docs reduce configuration mistakes in production.

That reduces deployment risk for configuration-heavy systems.

It also improves change reviews for ops teams.

That clarity helps reduce rollback events.

It also improves on-call handoffs.

FAQs

Can I convert YML to JSON? Yes. YML is the same as YAML.

Is my YAML uploaded to a server? No. All processing happens in your browser.

Does it support large YAML files? Yes, but very large files may be limited by browser memory.

Will the output JSON be formatted? Yes. The output is pretty-printed for readability.

Can I convert JSON back to YAML? Yes, use JSON to YAML.

Does YAML support comments? Yes, but JSON does not. Comments are removed during conversion.

How do I convert multi‑document YAML to JSON? Use the multi‑document option and choose Auto or Always array.

How do I convert Kubernetes YAML to JSON? Paste the manifest, convert, then use the JSON array if the file has multiple resources.

How do I convert GitHub Actions YAML to JSON? Paste the workflow YAML and enable Auto convert for instant JSON output.

Does the converter handle YAML anchors and aliases? Yes. Anchors and aliases are expanded into concrete JSON values.

Can I minify the JSON output? Yes. Enable the Minify output option to remove whitespace.

What is the difference between YAML and JSON? YAML is more human‑readable and supports comments; JSON is stricter and used by APIs.

How do I convert YAML to a JSON string? Convert to JSON, then copy or download the output string.

Can I convert YAML to JSON in Node.js or Python? Yes. See the Node.js and Python snippets above.

How do I convert OpenAPI/Swagger YAML to JSON? Paste the YAML, convert, and download the JSON for tooling that expects JSON.