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Format YAML files with correct indentation (2/4 spaces), key-value alignment, inline/block style optimization, comment preservation and alignment, array formatting, multi-line string handling, and syntax validation following YAML 1.2 specification.
Note: AI can make mistakes, so please double-check it.
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Common questions about this tool
Paste your yaml code into the formatter, and it automatically applies proper indentation, spacing, and organization. The tool improves code readability while maintaining functionality.
Yes, the yaml formatter beautifies code by adding consistent formatting, proper indentation, and organizing structure. This makes code easier to read, debug, and maintain without changing functionality.
No, formatting only changes whitespace and organization. It doesn't alter code logic, syntax, or behavior, so your yaml code works exactly the same after formatting.
Yes, the formatter offers customization options including indentation style, line length, and formatting preferences to match your project's coding standards and team preferences.
Paste minified code into the formatter, and it automatically adds proper indentation and line breaks to make the code readable again. This is useful for debugging or reviewing compressed code.
Verified content & sources
This tool's content and its supporting explanations have been created and reviewed by subject-matter experts. Calculations and logic are based on established research sources.
Scope: interactive tool, explanatory content, and related articles.
ToolGrid — Product & Engineering
Leads product strategy, technical architecture, and implementation of the core platform that powers ToolGrid calculators.
ToolGrid — Research & Content
Conducts research, designs calculation methodologies, and produces explanatory content to ensure accurate, practical, and trustworthy tool outputs.
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Learn what this tool does, when to use it, and how it fits into your workflow.
This YAML formatter helps you make YAML files clean, readable, and consistent. It takes messy or inconsistent YAML and formats it with proper indentation and structure. It also validates your YAML to check if it follows the correct syntax rules.
You paste your YAML into the tool, and it automatically formats it with consistent spacing. You can choose between strict and relaxed formatting modes, and set indentation to 2 or 4 spaces. The tool shows you what changed and helps you understand your YAML structure.
This tool is for developers, DevOps engineers, system administrators, and anyone who works with YAML configuration files. It helps when you work with Kubernetes configs, Docker Compose files, CI/CD pipelines, application settings, and other YAML based systems. You should know basic YAML syntax to use this tool effectively.
The main problem it solves is that YAML often becomes hard to read when written quickly or generated by tools. When YAML has wrong indentation or inconsistent spacing, it is difficult to see the structure and find errors. This tool makes YAML readable and follows YAML 1.2 specification standards.
YAML stands for YAML Ain't Markup Language. It is a human readable data format used for configuration files and data exchange. YAML uses indentation to show structure, similar to Python, but without requiring quotes for most values.
YAML files represent data as key value pairs, lists, and nested objects. Indentation is critical in YAML because it defines the hierarchy. Two spaces or four spaces per level are common choices. Wrong indentation breaks the structure and makes the file invalid.
YAML is widely used in modern software development. Kubernetes uses YAML for defining deployments, services, and configurations. Docker Compose uses YAML for describing multi container applications. CI/CD systems like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Jenkins use YAML for pipeline definitions. Many application frameworks read settings from YAML files. A related operation involves formatting Python code as part of a similar workflow.
When working with YAML, people often face formatting challenges. Manual editing can introduce inconsistent indentation. Copying YAML from different sources mixes different styles. Generated YAML may not follow human readable formatting. Finding syntax errors in deeply nested YAML is difficult without proper formatting.
YAML formatting means applying consistent indentation and spacing rules. Each level of nesting gets indented by a fixed number of spaces. Lists and objects are aligned properly. Key value pairs are formatted consistently. This creates a visual structure that matches the data structure, making it much easier to read and understand.
YAML validation checks if the file follows YAML syntax rules. It verifies that indentation is correct, brackets and braces are balanced, and values are properly formatted. When validation fails, the parser reports the line and column where the problem occurs. This helps you fix errors quickly.
The YAML formatter combines formatting and validation into one tool. It reads your YAML, validates it, formats it according to your preferences, and shows you what changed. This saves time and helps you write correct YAML files.
A DevOps engineer receives a Kubernetes configuration file that is hard to read. They paste it into the formatter, choose strict mode to preserve structure, and see it formatted with clear indentation. They can then easily review the configuration and spot potential issues.
A developer needs to clean up a Docker Compose file before committing it to version control. They use the formatter to ensure consistent indentation and spacing. The diff view helps them verify that only formatting changed, not the actual configuration. For adjacent tasks, formatting JSON data addresses a complementary step.
A system administrator receives YAML configuration from a vendor that has inconsistent formatting. They format it to match their organization's style guide. The statistics help them understand the file's complexity and structure.
A developer learning YAML wants to understand proper formatting. They paste example YAML and watch how the formatter indents and structures it. They also use AI explanation to understand what each part of the YAML does.
A CI/CD engineer needs to debug a failing pipeline configuration. They paste the YAML into the formatter and see validation errors with exact line and column numbers. The error snippets help them quickly locate and fix syntax problems.
A developer needs to compare two versions of a YAML configuration. They format both versions and use the diff view to see differences. This makes it easier to spot changes and understand what was modified.
A team needs to standardize YAML formatting across multiple configuration files. They use the formatter with consistent settings to format all files the same way. This ensures readability and reduces merge conflicts in version control.
A developer receives YAML from an API or tool that is minified or poorly formatted. They paste it into the formatter and see it formatted with proper structure. They can then easily read and modify the configuration. When working with related formats, formatting Terraform files can be a useful part of the process.
The formatter first checks your input size using the browser's Blob API. It counts the number of bytes and compares that to a fixed 10 megabyte limit. If the input is larger than this, it produces a validation error and skips parsing to protect the browser.
For validation and formatting, the tool uses a YAML parsing library that follows YAML 1.2 specification. It parses the input text into a JavaScript object or array. If parsing succeeds, the YAML is valid. If parsing fails, the library provides error information including line and column numbers.
When YAML is valid, the formatter converts the parsed data back to YAML text. It uses the chosen indentation size and formatting mode to control the output. In strict mode, keys keep their original order. In relaxed mode, keys are sorted alphabetically before output.
The formatting library applies consistent rules for indentation, line breaks, and value formatting. Nested objects and arrays are indented by the chosen number of spaces per level. Long lines may be wrapped based on the library's line width setting. String values are quoted when needed, but simple values remain unquoted for readability.
Error extraction works by reading the parser's error object. The parser provides a mark object with line and column information. The tool extracts this information and creates a code snippet around the error location. The snippet includes a few lines before and after the error, with a marker pointing to the exact column.
Statistics are calculated by analyzing the parsed YAML data structure. File size is measured by converting the YAML string to bytes. Line count comes from splitting the YAML string by newline characters. Key count is found by recursively counting all keys in objects throughout the structure. Depth is calculated by tracking the maximum nesting level while walking the data structure. In some workflows, validating YAML syntax is a relevant follow-up operation.
Diff calculation compares the original and formatted YAML line by line. It walks through both lists of lines and marks each line as unchanged, removed, or added. Lines that are identical are marked as unchanged. Lines that exist only in the original are marked as removed. Lines that exist only in the formatted version are marked as added.
Change statistics count how many lines differ between original and formatted versions. Structural changes are counted only in relaxed mode, where key sorting may change the order. In strict mode, structural changes should be zero since only spacing changes.
The tool uses debouncing to avoid processing YAML too frequently. When you type or paste, it waits a short time before processing. This prevents the browser from slowing down when working with large files or fast typing. Processing happens in the background so the interface stays responsive.
AI explanation sends a truncated copy of your YAML to a backend service. The tool limits the text to about fifty kilobytes to control processing cost. The backend returns either an explanation of the structure or help with fixing errors. The result is displayed in a banner without changing your YAML.
Always choose the formatting mode that matches your needs. Use strict mode when you need to preserve exact key order, such as in Kubernetes configs where order matters. Use relaxed mode when you want cleaner output and key order does not matter.
Use consistent indentation across your project. If your team uses 2 spaces, stick with 2 spaces. If they use 4 spaces, use 4 spaces. Consistency makes code reviews and collaboration easier. For related processing needs, formatting XML handles a complementary task.
Use the diff view to verify formatting changes. This shows exactly what changed between original and formatted versions. It helps you confirm that only spacing changed, not the actual data structure.
The tool has a 10 megabyte size limit for input files. If your YAML is larger, consider splitting it into smaller files or processing it in parts. Very large files can slow down your browser or cause memory issues.
Remember that YAML is sensitive to indentation. Wrong indentation breaks the structure and makes the file invalid. Always use spaces, not tabs, for indentation in YAML. The formatter helps ensure consistent spacing.
Be careful with relaxed mode if key order matters in your system. Some systems expect keys in a specific order. If you are unsure, use strict mode to preserve the original order.
The AI explanation feature helps understand complex YAML structures. Use it when you want to learn about YAML patterns or get help fixing errors. Keep in mind that AI analysis may take a moment to complete.
Save important YAML before formatting if you are unsure. While formatting is usually safe, having a backup ensures you can restore the original if needed. This is especially important for production configuration files.
Use consistent formatting across your project. Format all YAML files the same way to maintain readability. This makes it easier for team members to read and understand configuration.
Be aware that some YAML features may not format perfectly. Very complex structures or unusual syntax might not format as expected. Always review formatted YAML to ensure it looks correct.
The tool preserves comments and special YAML features during formatting. Comments are kept in their original positions. Special features like anchors and aliases are handled by the YAML library. This maintains the functionality of your YAML while improving readability.
For very large YAML files, formatting may take a moment. Be patient and wait for processing to complete. The tool shows a processing indicator while it works.
Articles and guides to get more from this tool
1. Introduction: The Readability Problem You receive a YAML configuration file from a colleague. It is a single long line with no spacing or…
Read full articleSummary: Format YAML files with correct indentation (2/4 spaces), key-value alignment, inline/block style optimization, comment preservation and alignment, array formatting, multi-line string handling, and syntax validation following YAML 1.2 specification.