Code Formatter & Minifier
Format, beautify, or minify your code. Supports JSON, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript, XML, and SQL.
Input
Output
Usage Tips
- Auto-detect: Paste code and the language will be detected automatically. Override by selecting manually.
- JSON: Validates and pretty-prints JSON with configurable indentation.
- HTML/XML: Formats markup with proper tag indentation.
- CSS: Formats stylesheets with consistent indentation and line breaks.
- JavaScript/TypeScript: Basic formatting with brace and semicolon-based indentation.
- SQL: Uppercases keywords and adds line breaks for readability.
- Minify: Removes whitespace and comments to reduce code size.
What is a Code Formatter?
A code formatter, also called a code beautifier or pretty-printer, is a development tool that automatically restructures source code to follow consistent style rules without changing its behavior or functionality. Formatters apply rules for indentation (spaces or tabs), line length, spacing around operators and punctuation, bracket and brace placement, and blank line density. This tool supports multiple programming languages including JSON, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, TypeScript, XML, and SQL, making it invaluable for developers who need to standardize code across teams, languages, and projects.
Code formatting is essential because unformatted code wastes developer time during code reviews when reviewers must mentally parse inconsistent indentation and spacing. It also prevents commit history pollution — when developers reformat entire files, the resulting diffs are cluttered and obscure the actual logical changes. Professional teams enforce formatting standards via linters and pre-commit hooks to maintain consistency automatically.
Common Use Cases
- Cleaning up minified code: JavaScript and CSS sent from build pipelines are often minified (all on one line) for file size. Developers need to format it back into readable lines for debugging and analysis.
- Standardizing team code: When multiple developers work on the same codebase, they may use different indentation (tabs vs. 2 vs. 4 spaces). A formatter enforces team standards consistently across all files.
- Preparing code for documentation: Blog posts, Stack Overflow answers, and technical documentation require well-formatted code snippets. Formatting ensures the code examples are readable and follow best practices.
- Fixing formatting before committing: Developers often paste code from browsers, other editors, or generated sources that have inconsistent formatting. Formatting once before commit keeps the history clean.
- Converting between indentation styles: Projects transitioning from 2-space to 4-space indentation (or vice versa) can use a formatter to bulk-convert all files consistently.
How to Use This Tool
- Paste your code: Copy and paste the code you want to format into the Input panel. The formatter will attempt to auto-detect the programming language, or you can manually select it from the Language dropdown.
- Select formatting options: Choose between Format (pretty-print) or Minify (compress) mode. For Format mode, select your preferred indentation size (2, 4, or 8 spaces). Your choice is remembered for the session.
- Review formatted output: The formatted code appears immediately in the Output panel with stats (lines, characters, file size). Syntax errors are caught and displayed as alerts so you know if the input is malformed.
- Copy or download: Click the Copy button to copy the formatted code to your clipboard, or manually select and copy from the output textarea.
Features
JSON
Pretty-prints JSON with validation. Detects malformed JSON (missing quotes, trailing commas) and displays clear error messages.
JavaScript & TypeScript
Formats JavaScript and TypeScript with consistent indentation, brace placement, and semicolon handling. Supports modern syntax including arrow functions and template literals.
HTML & XML
Formats markup with proper tag indentation, attribute alignment, and self-closing tag handling. Useful for template files and configuration XML documents.
CSS & SQL
CSS formatting handles selectors and declarations with consistent spacing. SQL formatting uppercases keywords and adds line breaks for complex queries.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does formatting change what my code does?
No. Code formatting is purely cosmetic — it restructures whitespace and line breaks but never changes variable names, logic, or function behavior. The formatted code is functionally identical to the input; only its appearance changes.
What happens if I have a syntax error?
The formatter detects common syntax errors like missing quotes, unmatched braces, and invalid JSON, then displays an error message in the Error panel. Fix the syntax in the input and try again. For complex issues, review the error message for hints about the problem location.
How is this different from a linter?
A formatter only fixes whitespace and indentation; it doesn't enforce code quality rules or catch logical errors. Linters (like ESLint) check for best practices, unused variables, and code smells. They're complementary — most teams use both: linters to enforce quality rules, formatters to apply consistent styling.
Can I minify and then un-minify code?
Partially. The formatter can un-minify (expand) code back to readable form in Format mode. However, minification strips comments and renames variables, so you can't recover the original variable names. Use minified code primarily for review, not for permanent refactoring.