Format JSON for clear, private review

A formatter first has to parse the input as JSON. If the text contains a trailing comma, a JavaScript comment, an unquoted member name, or a single-quoted string, strict parsing stops and the original text remains available to edit. That distinction matters because silently repairing an ambiguous payload can hide the actual defect in an API response or configuration file.

Once parsing succeeds, indentation is presentation. Two spaces keeps large fixtures compact, four spaces creates stronger visual nesting, and tabs follow an editor-oriented workflow. None of those choices changes the values represented by the document. Tool Swim serializes the parsed value again and reports the result locally.

Object member order is often not meaningful to an application, yet the order can still help a person follow a hand-authored document. Recursive sorting is useful when you want deterministic snapshots or easier side-by-side review. It is less helpful when the original sequence groups related settings or mirrors an upstream service response.

Arrays are never sorted by this operation because array order is part of the represented value. If two API responses need structural comparison, use the JSON comparison route instead of sorting arrays or relying on a line-based text diff.

API responses can contain bearer tokens, session identifiers, customer records, internal hostnames, and configuration secrets. This formatter performs no fetch, upload, share-link generation, or cloud save. Processing also works when analytics consent is declined or network requests are blocked.

Local processing reduces one transfer risk, but it does not sanitize the result. Review secrets before copying formatted output into a ticket, chat, paste service, source repository, or screen recording. Close the tab and clear clipboard history according to your device policy when the payload is especially sensitive.