JSON to YAML Tutorial: Convert JSON to Readable Config

Convert a JSON object to YAML

{
  "server": {
    "host": "localhost",
    "port": 8080,
    "debug": true
  }
}

server:
  host: localhost
  port: 8080
  debug: true

Convert JSON arrays to YAML lists

JSON arrays become YAML sequences. Arrays of objects become repeated list items with nested fields.

{
  "plugins": [
    { "name": "auth", "enabled": true },
    { "name": "billing", "enabled": false }
  ]
}

plugins:
  - name: auth
    enabled: true
  - name: billing
    enabled: false

Preserve JSON types

JSON values should map to the equivalent YAML type. Strings that look like booleans, numbers, or dates should be quoted if you want them to remain strings.

{
  "enabled": true,
  "retries": 3,
  "version": "1.0",
  "zip": "00123",
  "deletedAt": null
}

enabled: true
retries: 3
version: "1.0"
zip: "00123"
deletedAt: ~

Watch YAML indentation

YAML structure depends on indentation. Use spaces, not tabs, and keep nesting consistent.

# Good
database:
  host: localhost
  pool:
    min: 2
    max: 10

# Bad: inconsistent indentation changes structure or fails parsing
database:
 host: localhost
  pool:
    min: 2

Common JSON to YAML mistakes

• Forgetting to quote strings that look like numbers, dates, or booleans.
• Mixing tabs and spaces.
• Changing nested structure while hand-editing indentation.
• Assuming comments from YAML can be converted back to JSON.
• Using YAML features that the target tool does not support.