Why format JSON
API responses, configs, and logs are often minified JSON. Poor readability slows debugging: extra commas, quote mismatches, and nesting errors hide in plain sight. json-formatter parses and pretty-prints locally—fine for dev data with internal field names (never paste production secrets).
Formatting vs validation
Formatters tell you if JSON is syntactically valid; parse errors usually point to the first syntax issue. For JSON Schema or OpenAPI, use structured-output-validator or openapi-formatter. YAML configs can go through yaml-converter first, then format as JSON.
Diff and conversion workflow
Before releases, use json-diff on config between environments. For CSV exports, combine json-to-csv, csv-to-json, and json-formatter. LLM output often wraps JSON in Markdown—extract with llm-json-extractor, then format.
Local processing means data does not leave the browser, but clipboard and screen sharing still leak. Team policy: redact test data; never paste production payloads into any third-party page, Towalles included.