YAML to JSON Converter Online

What Is a YAML to JSON Converter?

A YAML to JSON converter parses YAML Ain't Markup Language documents and transforms them into JavaScript Object Notation format. YAML is the standard configuration language for cloud infrastructure — Kubernetes, Docker Compose, Terraform HCL alternatives, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, and Ansible all use YAML as their primary format. JSON is required by REST APIs, programmatic tooling like kubectl with JSON output, and most programming language SDKs.

This converter uses the js-yaml library to parse YAML with full spec compliance including anchors, aliases, multi-line strings, and complex mappings. The output is pretty-printed JSON with 2-space indentation. YAML-specific features like comments are discarded since JSON has no comment syntax. Type inference converts YAML values to appropriate JSON types — unquoted numbers become numeric values, true/false become booleans, and null/tilde become JSON null. All processing happens client-side in your browser with zero server communication.

How to Convert YAML to JSON

1. Paste your YAML content into the input panel. The parser accepts Kubernetes manifests, Docker Compose files, CI/CD configs, or any valid YAML document.
2. Click Convert to parse the YAML and generate structured JSON with proper type inference for numbers, booleans, and null values.
3. Inspect the JSON output on the right side. YAML mappings become JSON objects, sequences become arrays, and scalar values are typed appropriately.
4. Copy or download the JSON for use in API calls, programmatic processing, or as input to other developer tools in the PinusX suite.

Why Use PinusX YAML to JSON Converter?

Platform engineers and SREs regularly need to convert YAML configurations to JSON for API interactions, debugging, and tooling integration. PinusX performs this conversion with 100% client-side processing — your YAML files containing infrastructure secrets, service account keys, and deployment configurations never leave your browser. This privacy-first approach eliminates the risk of credential exposure that server-based tools introduce. The tool supports the full YAML 1.2 specification through the js-yaml library, handling edge cases like anchors, multi-line strings, and special characters that simpler converters miss.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are YAML comments preserved when converting to JSON?

No. JSON does not support comments, so all YAML comments (lines starting with #) are discarded during conversion. If you need to preserve annotations, consider moving them to a separate documentation file or encoding them as special keys in your JSON structure.

How does the converter handle YAML anchors and aliases?

YAML anchors (&anchor) and aliases (*anchor) are fully resolved during conversion. The referenced content is expanded inline in the JSON output, producing a self-contained document without any references.

What YAML types are supported?

The converter supports all YAML scalar types: strings, integers, floats, booleans (true/false, yes/no, on/off), null (null, ~), and timestamps. Complex types like mappings (objects) and sequences (arrays) are fully supported with unlimited nesting depth.

Can I convert multi-document YAML files?

This converter processes single YAML documents. If your file contains multiple documents separated by '---', only the first document will be converted. For multi-document files, split them at the document separators and convert each one individually.

Does the tool handle YAML indentation errors?

The js-yaml parser will report clear error messages indicating the line number and position of indentation errors. YAML requires consistent use of spaces (not tabs) for indentation. The error message will help you locate and fix the issue before retrying.

Your data never leaves your browser. 100% client-side processing.