JSON tools for clearer data.

Format, validate, or compare?

Use the formatter when a compact response is hard to read. It parses the input and prints it with indentation. Use the validator when you only need a syntax check. Use the comparison tool when reviewing two versions of a configuration, payload, or sample response.

These are different tasks. Formatting is not schema validation, and a line-based comparison does not determine whether two documents have the same meaning to your application. A changed property order can make a textual difference even when an API treats the objects the same.

A practical review sequence

1. Keep the original response, including its HTTP status if relevant.
2. Remove credentials, personal records, and internal identifiers from a shared example.
3. Validate the syntax, then format a copy to inspect nesting and value types.
4. Compare the fields that matter against the expected contract or previous version.

Watch identifiers and precision

JavaScript number parsing can lose precision for very large integers. Repeated object keys may also be collapsed by parsing and serialization. Do not treat a general formatter as a byte-preserving editor for signed payloads. Each tool page describes its behavior in more detail.

Try the SLR CORE JSON formatting guide for a worked example. For markup-based documents, use the XML category instead.