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YAML Validator Online
Check, Format And View YAML

This YAML validator online checks your file as you paste it and shows the exact line of any error. It also formats, draws a tree and converts to JSON. Nothing is uploaded.

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YAML Validator and Formatter

Check, tidy, view and convert YAML in your browser

Result
Lines
0
Keys
0
Depth
0

Ready. Paste YAML and it is checked at once.

Your browser does all of the work here, in this tab. We upload nothing, store nothing and log nothing.
The short version

What A YAML Validator Online Does For You

YAML runs a lot of the modern web. Config files, build pipelines and cluster settings all use it. But one wrong space can break a whole deploy, and the error message is often vague.

This tool tells you exactly what is wrong. First, paste your YAML and the tool checks it at once. If there is an error, you see the message and the line. Then one click takes you to that spot.

It also finds problems that a parser alone would miss. For example, an unquoted no can turn into false. A number with a leading zero can turn into octal. These checks save real debugging time.

Besides checking, the page has four more modes. It formats and sorts the file, draws a tree, parses it to JSON, and encodes it as Base64. All of them share one box.

Everything runs in your browser. Your YAML never leaves your device. That matters, because config files often hold hostnames, tokens and other private details.

YAML Checker With Clear Errors

First, the validator reads your file the way a real parser does. If it finds an error, it names the line. It explains the problem in plain words, such as a tab used for indentation or a bracket that never closes.

Drawing of a YAML file on the left with a red marker on a wrong line and a green check on the fixed file on the right
The validator points at the line that breaks.

Every error comes with a button called Show me where. It selects the spot in your text. So you fix it in seconds, not minutes. Then the check runs again on its own.

When the file is valid, you still get notes. The notes list risks, such as unquoted yes and no, anchors, comments and trailing spaces.

For more detail, see: YAML 1.2 specification.

YAML Formatter Online

First, switch to Format to tidy the file. Then the formatter rewrites it with clean two or four space indents. It also quotes the values that need quotes, and it keeps block text as a block.

YAML formatter online with a messy YAML file on the left and the same file with clean indents and sorted keys on the right
Messy YAML in, clean YAML out.

You can sort the keys from A to Z. Sorted files are easy to compare and easy to review. Also, tabs and trailing spaces disappear. Finally, you can paste the clean file back into your project.

This yaml formatter online reads the whole file first. So it never writes broken output. If the YAML has an error, it tells you instead.

YAML Viewer Online As A Tree

Long YAML is hard to read. So the tree mode shows it as branches. Then you can open only the part you need. Each key opens and closes, and the number of items shows beside it.

YAML viewer online showing a settings file as a tree with keys that open and close and coloured values
The same YAML as an open and close tree.

Strings, numbers and booleans have their own colours. As a result, you see at a glance what the parser thinks each value is.

Parse YAML To JSON

Many tools want JSON, not YAML. So parse mode converts the file at once. The tool expands anchors and merge keys, so the JSON holds the final values.

YAML parsed to JSON, with the YAML on the left and the formatted JSON on the right
YAML parsed to JSON.

Then you can copy the JSON or save it as a file. Sorting works here too.

YAML To Base64 And Back

Kubernetes secrets and many CI tools store files as Base64. So this mode encodes your YAML, and it decodes Base64 back to YAML. Also, it works with Unicode text, such as accents and emoji. A URL-safe option swaps the plus and slash characters.

YAML to Base64 mode showing a YAML file on the left and the encoded Base64 text on the right
YAML encoded as Base64.

After decoding, the tool checks the text. If it is not valid YAML, you get a note.

The Yes And No Trap

In YAML 1.1, the plain words yes, no, on and off mean true and false. In YAML 1.2, they are text. So the same file can mean different things in two tools. That is why one deploy works and another fails.

For example, the classic case is the country code NO, which turns into false. The validator warns you and suggests quotes. Quoted values are safe in every parser.

Indentation Rules

YAML uses spaces to show structure. YAML forbids tabs. Every child must sit deeper than its parent, and siblings must line up exactly.

Then the tool catches both mistakes and names the line. In short, you never hunt for a stray space by eye.

Also, a key and its value need a space after the colon. A list item needs a space after the dash. These small rules cause many errors, and the tool points at each one.

How it works

Using The YAML Validator Online, Step By Step

Four steps take you from raw YAML to a clean, checked file.

  • 1

    Paste your YAML

    Paste it, open a file, or try the sample. The tool checks it at once.

  • 2

    Read the verdict

    You see valid or invalid. Errors show the line, and notes list risks.

  • 3

    Pick a mode

    Format it, view a tree, parse to JSON, or encode as Base64.

  • 4

    Copy or save

    Copy the result, or save it as a file with the right extension.

Why this one

What This YAML Validator Does Differently

Many validators only say valid or invalid. These are the extras.

  • Exact lines

    Every error names the line, and a button selects it in your text.

  • Smart notes

    Warns about yes and no, leading zeros, tabs, anchors and comments.

  • Five modes

    Validate, format, view a tree, parse to JSON, and Base64.

  • Several documents

    A file with several documents gets a picker, so you check each one.

  • Safe by design

    No eval and no remote tags. Aliases expand, and nothing runs.

  • Nothing leaves your tab

    Your browser does the work. We never see your YAML, and we keep nothing.

Good habits

Habits For Writing Safer YAML

Small habits keep config files readable and safe.

  • Use spaces, never tabs. Set your editor to insert spaces. Two per level is the usual choice.
  • Keep one indent size. Mixed indents cause the most confusing errors. Pick two or four and stay with it.
  • Quote ambiguous values. Quote yes, no, on, off, and codes such as NO. Then every parser agrees.
  • Quote numbers that are codes. ZIP codes, versions and phone numbers lose zeros as plain numbers.
  • Put a space after the colon. The text key:value is one string. The text key: value is a pair.
  • Use block text for long strings. A pipe keeps line breaks. A greater-than sign folds lines into one.
  • Avoid duplicate keys. Most parsers keep the last one and hide the first. The tool warns you.
  • Comment the why. A short comment saves the next person an hour. Remember that formatting drops comments.
  • Validate before you deploy. A one second check beats a failed pipeline.
  • Sort keys in shared files. Sorted keys make diffs short and reviews easy.
  • Keep secrets out. Never paste real passwords or tokens into any tool. Use test values.
Worth avoiding

Common YAML Mistakes This Tool Catches

Each of these breaks a deploy or changes your data. The validator finds them.

  • Tabs in the indent

    YAML forbids tabs. The tool names the line.

  • Uneven indentation

    A key that sits one space off breaks the structure. The tool shows where.

  • Unquoted yes and no

    They may turn into true and false. Quotes fix it.

  • Leading zeros

    The value 0755 may become octal. Quote it if it is a code.

  • Unclosed brackets

    A bracket or quote that never closes hides the rest of the file.

  • Missing space after a colon

    Without the space, the line is plain text and not a key.

Questions

YAML Validator Questions People Ask

Is this YAML validator online free?

Yes. It costs nothing, needs no account and has no limits. It runs in your browser, so we have no server cost to pass on.

Is my YAML uploaded anywhere?

No. Your browser reads and checks the file. Nothing reaches this site, and we keep nothing. Closing the tab clears it all.

Which YAML version does it read?

It reads the common core of YAML 1.2, with anchors, aliases, block text and flow lists. Notes warn you where YAML 1.1 tools may read a value differently.

How does it show errors?

You get a plain message and the line number. A Show me where button selects the spot in your text.

What does the formatter change?

It re-indents the file, quotes values that need quotes, and removes trailing spaces. You can also sort the keys.

Why were my comments removed?

Formatting rewrites the file from its data, and the data holds no comments. A note tells you when this happens.

Can it check Kubernetes or Docker Compose files?

It checks the YAML syntax of any file. It does not check the schema, so it cannot tell if a field name is valid for Kubernetes.

How does it handle several documents?

A file split by three dashes shows a picker. You choose which document to check, format or convert.

What is the yes and no warning?

In YAML 1.1, an unquoted yes or no means true or false. In YAML 1.2, it is text. The tool warns you so you can add quotes.

Are anchors and aliases supported?

Yes. The tool expands them in the formatted output and in JSON. A note tells you when the file uses them.

How does the Base64 mode work?

It turns your YAML into Base64 text, or decodes Base64 back into YAML. A URL-safe option is there for tokens and URLs.

Is it safe to paste a config file?

The tool never sends it anywhere. Still, avoid pasting real secrets into any website. Use test values when you can.

How big a file can I check?

Up to a few megabytes. Very large files may read slowly on a phone.

Why does the tool quote some values when it formats?

Some plain values, such as y or the word null, could be read as something else. Quotes keep them as text, so the data stays the same in every parser.

Can I validate a YAML file with only comments?

Yes. A file with only comments is valid and holds no data. The tool shows zero keys and tells you the file is clean.

Does it work on a phone?

Yes. The panels stack and the lists scroll. For long files, a keyboard is still easier.

More free tools

Handy Companions For Config Files

Checking is one step. These three tools handle the steps around it.

Ready To Check Some YAML?

Paste your file and see the verdict. The validator is free, needs no account, and keeps every byte on your device.