Convert JSON to YAML
Convert JSON to YAML free in your browser. No upload, no signup, no watermark. Files stay on your device.
drop a .json file
or click to browse
related
more json & yaml
see all data & code converters →guide
how to convert json to yaml
Drop your JSON file
Drag your JSON file into the drop zone above, or click the box to pick a file from your computer or phone. The browser reads the file directly — nothing uploads.
Click Convert
The page runs js-yaml on your device to decode the JavaScript Object Notation and encode it as YAML Ain't Markup Language. Most conversions finish in a few seconds; large or codec-heavy files (RAW, video) can take longer.
Download the YAML file
When the conversion finishes, the YAML file is ready to download. Save it anywhere on your device.
FAQ
common questions
Why convert JSON to YAML?
Three main reasons: (a) you're writing configuration files for a DevOps tool — Docker Compose, Kubernetes manifests, CI/CD pipelines, Helm charts all expect YAML; (b) you want a human-editable version of a JSON API response or config; (c) you need to add comments — JSON forbids them, YAML allows single-line and multi-line. YAML's indentation-based syntax is easier for humans to read and edit, especially for nested structures.
Will my JSON's structure be preserved exactly?
Yes — the data is 1:1. Every JSON object becomes a YAML mapping, every array becomes a YAML sequence, every string / number / boolean / null translates to its YAML equivalent. The two formats are fully interconvertible at the data level; YAML is a superset of JSON syntactically, so anything JSON can express, YAML can.
Will comments be added automatically?
No — JSON doesn't have comments to translate. The output is plain YAML with the same content as the source JSON. If you want comments, edit the YAML output after conversion to add `# comment` lines. The conversion gives you a starting point; turning it into a human-friendly config file is manual work.
What about data types — do numbers stay numbers?
Yes. JSON numbers become YAML numbers (no quotes), JSON booleans become YAML true/false, JSON null becomes YAML null (or empty, depending on style). Strings stay as strings, though YAML's quoting rules are more permissive — short strings often don't need quotes in YAML.
How does the YAML look — indented or flow style?
Indented (block style) by default — the human-readable form YAML is famous for. Nested structures use indentation to show hierarchy, arrays use dash prefixes, mappings use colons. This is the form Kubernetes / Docker / Ansible expect. JSON-like flow style (`{key: value, key: value}`) is available in YAML but rarely used because it defeats the readability advantage.