YAML Formatter

YAML formatter: fix indentation for configs and CI files

YAML uses indentation to express structure—a single wrong space can break a Kubernetes deploy or GitHub Actions workflow. This formatter normalizes spacing so you can spot nesting errors before `kubectl apply` or a CI run fails.

Processing stays in your browser. Paste from a repo, cloud console, or incident ticket, then copy the cleaned file back.

How to use this converter

1. Paste YAML from Helm values, Docker Compose, or CI pipelines.
2. Format to align lists, maps, and nested keys.
3. Review colon spacing and quote rules for strings with special characters.
4. Copy into your editor or deployment command.

Before and after examples

Why whitespace matters in YAML

Unlike JSON, YAML forbids tabs in many parsers and treats indentation depth as syntax. Mixing two-space and four-space indents in one file is a common source of “did not find expected key” errors.

Formatting does not change values—it reveals structure. Strings that look like numbers or booleans may still need quotes after you inspect them.

Kubernetes, Compose, and GitHub Actions

Platform engineers tidy Helm charts and Kustomize patches here before review. Developers clean `.yml` configs copied from Slack or email where indentation was destroyed.

For secrets, redact tokens before pasting—even though processing is local, screen sharing and ticket systems are not private vaults.

When to use YAML vs JSON

YAML is human-friendly for ops configs; JSON is stricter for APIs. Convert between them on dedicated tool pages rather than hand-editing across formats without validation.

Frequently asked questions