JSON to YAML Converter: Transform Configuration Files

YAML and JSON are both popular data serialization formats, but they serve different purposes. JSON excels at data interchange between systems, while YAML is preferred for configuration files due to its human-readable syntax.

JSON vs YAML: Key Differences

Feature	JSON	YAML
Readability	Moderate	High
Comments	Not supported	Supported (#)
Data types	String, number, boolean, null, array, object	All JSON types plus dates, multiline strings
Syntax	Braces and brackets	Indentation-based
Common use	APIs, data storage	Config files (Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD)

How the Conversion Works

Objects Become Mappings

{ "host": "localhost", "port": 8080 }

Becomes:

host: localhost
port: 8080

Arrays Become Sequences

["auth", "logging", "metrics"]

Becomes:

- auth
- logging
- metrics

Nested Structures Use Indentation

{ "database": { "host": "localhost", "pool": { "min": 2, "max": 10 } } }

Becomes:

database:
  host: localhost
  pool:
    min: 2
    max: 10

Common Use Cases

• Docker Compose: Convert JSON service definitions to docker-compose.yml
• Kubernetes: Transform JSON manifests to YAML for kubectl apply
• CI/CD: Convert JSON pipeline configs to GitHub Actions or GitLab CI YAML
• Ansible: Convert JSON variable files to YAML playbooks

How to Use the Tool

1. Paste your JSON in the left panel
2. View the YAML conversion instantly in the right panel
3. Copy the result with one click

The converter handles nested objects, arrays, special characters, and properly quotes strings that could be ambiguous in YAML.

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Try our free JSON to YAML converter to transform your data instantly.