How to Convert YAML to JSON (Including Multi-Document Files)

YAML is great to write and review, but plenty of tools want JSON: schema validators, API clients, browser code, jq pipelines. Converting is also a handy way to check how a YAML file is actually being interpreted, which can be surprising.

Example

# deployment settings
name: web
replicas: 2
tags: [frontend, public]
---
name: worker
replicas: 1

becomes:

[
  { "name": "web", "replicas": 2, "tags": ["frontend", "public"] },
  { "name": "worker", "replicas": 1 }
]

How to convert YAML to JSON with ZapMorph

1. Open the converter

Go to the YAML to JSON converter.

2. Add your YAML

Drop in .yaml or .yml files, or paste YAML text.

3. Convert and download

Click Convert to JSON.

Debugging with it

If a YAML config behaves strangely, convert it and look at the JSON. You'll quickly spot:

• A value that became true/false when you meant a string.
• A number that lost its trailing zero (1.10 → 1.1).
• Indentation that put a key under the wrong parent.

Other ways

• yq: yq -o=json file.yaml.
• Python: json.dumps(yaml.safe_load(f), indent=2).

Related

• The reverse: JSON to YAML.
• Explore big JSON in the JSON viewer.

Example

service: api
replicas: 3
ports:
  - 80
  - 443

{ "service": "api", "replicas": 3, "ports": [80, 443] }

YAML gotchas to watch for

Uses

• Validating configs with JSON Schema tools.
• APIs that accept JSON but your team writes YAML.
• Debugging what a YAML file really contains.

Summary

The YAML to JSON converter handles multi-document files and anchors, and it's a quick way to see what your YAML really says.