Convert JSON to YAML online for Kubernetes, CI and config files, with key order kept. Upload files up to 20GB and download the converted result in a few clicks.
Drag & Drop your JSON file here
JSON files, up to 20GB
Files stay private.
Automatically deleted after 24 hours.
Link
20GB upload limit.
4.8/5
Trusted for 1,827,796+ conversions
HOW IT WORKS
Three steps, no account, nothing to install.
01
Add your JSON
Drag and drop or upload a .json file. A single JSON document, JSON Lines and concatenated JSON all work, in UTF-8 or UTF-16.
02
Convert to YAML
Keep YAML as the output format and start the conversion. Keys keep their order, and values YAML would misread are double-quoted.
03
Download the YAML
Download a UTF-8 .yaml file, ready for a config repository, a CI pipeline or a Kubernetes manifest.
JSON
JSON is a structured text format built from objects, arrays, strings, numbers, and other simple values. It is commonly used for APIs, application data, automation, configuration, and machine-readable exports. It does not allow comments, and deeply nested files are hard to read on one screen.
YAML
YAML is a human-readable data format that uses indentation instead of braces and brackets. It is the usual format for Kubernetes manifests, Docker Compose files, GitHub Actions and GitLab CI pipelines, Ansible playbooks and many app config files. YAML 1.2 is designed as a superset of JSON, but block-style YAML is much easier to read and edit.
FILE FORMATS
SOURCE
JavaScript Object Notation, standardized as RFC 8259, is how web APIs, config files and NoSQL databases exchange data. It is plain text with named keys, strings, numbers, booleans, arrays and nested objects. Every programming language reads it, and tools like MongoDB, Postman and JavaScript apps expect it.
TARGET
YAML is a human-friendly data format that uses indentation instead of brackets. Kubernetes manifests, GitHub Actions workflows, Docker Compose files, Ansible playbooks and many app configs are written in YAML. It is a superset of JSON, but unquoted values such as yes, no or 0o17 can be read as booleans or numbers.
| Feature | JSON | YAML |
|---|---|---|
| Developed by | Douglas Crockford (RFC 8259) | Clark Evans, Ingy döt Net, Oren Ben-Kiki |
| File extension | .json | .yaml, .yml |
| Editable | Yes (text) | Yes (text) |
| Layout | Nested objects and arrays | Indented keys and lists |
| Best for | APIs, apps and databases | Configuration files |
| Opens in | Code editors, browsers, APIs | Editors and DevOps tools |
USE CASES
Practical workflows where JSON to YAML conversion is useful.
Write a Kubernetes manifest from JSON
Turn the JSON from kubectl get -o json or an API into a YAML manifest you can edit and commit.
Move app config to a YAML-based tool
Bring values from a config.json into a YAML file for tools such as Docker Compose, Ansible or a static site generator.
Read a large API response
Block-style YAML with 2-space indents is easier to scan than a long line of minified JSON, which helps when reviewing a big response.
Build a CI pipeline file
Generate GitHub Actions or GitLab CI YAML from JSON produced by a script, with the key order kept.
Keep an OpenAPI definition in YAML
Convert an OpenAPI or Swagger definition from JSON to YAML, the form many API teams keep in their repositories.
Avoid the Norway problem
Country codes like NO and values such as yes, off or null are double-quoted, so YAML 1.1 parsers do not turn them into booleans or null.
Keep versions, times and codes as text
Strings such as '1:20', '0o17' or '123' stay quoted, so they keep their exact value instead of becoming numbers.
Turn JSON Lines into a YAML stream
Each line of a JSON Lines or concatenated JSON file becomes its own YAML document, separated by ---.
Create test fixtures for Ruby or Python
Test data in JSON becomes YAML that Ruby's Psych and Python's PyYAML read back as exactly the same data.
Write a Helm values file
Turn a values.json into values.yaml for a Helm chart, with multi-line strings written as readable | blocks.
SUPPORTED FILES
JSON documents and JSON Lines are supported.
Turn JSON configs into YAML for Kubernetes, CI or Docker Compose.
Make large responses easier to read.
Become a multi-document YAML stream.
Written as is in UTF-8.
Rename them to .json before uploading.
TROUBLESHOOTING
These explain most surprises.
01
Strings like yes, no, on, off or 0o17 would be read as other types, so they're quoted.
02
JSON Lines become a YAML stream separated by ---.
03
Comments and trailing commas count as invalid JSON.
04
1e-7 is written as 1.0e-7 so every YAML version reads it as a number.
05
Only .json is accepted. Rename the file and upload again.
06
Extremely deep structures are refused as nested too deeply.
Excel, Google Sheets and a few lines of Python can do this conversion if you have them set up. dragdropdo converts JSON to YAML in the browser, with nothing to configure.
| What matters | dragdropdo | Spreadsheet Apps and Scripts |
|---|---|---|
| Nothing to install | ✓Yes. Runs in any modern browser. | ~Spreadsheet apps or a Python setup. |
| Works on phones and tablets | ✓Yes. Desktop, Android, iPhone and iPad. | ~Spreadsheet apps work on phones; scripts don't. |
| Batch conversion | ✓Yes. Add many files and download one ZIP. | ~Scripts can; spreadsheet apps go one file at a time. |
| Share finished files | ✓Yes. Send a unique link from the result page. | ~You upload and share the files yourself. |
| Pricing | ✓Free with daily limits. $2.99 or $6.99 passes for unlimited use, no monthly plan. | ~Free (Google Sheets, LibreOffice, Python) to subscription (Excel). |
| Choosing the output layout | ✓Not in the converter. The layout is fixed. | ~Yes, with export options or code. |
Other tools use different pricing, limits and workflows. This comparison describes dragdropdo's own features without assuming every other tool works the same way.
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WHY DRAGDROPDO
Convert JSON to YAML in your browser, with nothing to install and nothing kept after 24 hours.
Private by default
Files are encrypted in transit and deleted from our servers automatically after 24 hours.
No install required
Convert in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone or iPad. No app and no sign-up wall.
Big files and batches
Upload files up to 20GB each, add several at once, and download the results one by one or as a ZIP.
Share & download
Save finished files to your device or pass them on with a share link from the result page.
MORE JSON TOOLS
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. Widely used in web applications for data exchange, JSON supports a text format that is completely language-independent, making it a preferred choice for APIs and configuration files.
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FAQ
Answers to common questions about dragdropdo's JSON to YAML converter.
