What is YAML?
YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) is a human-readable data serialization language designed for configuration files and data exchange. It features concise, clear syntax — more readable than XML and more expressive than JSON. YAML uses indentation for nesting, colons for key-value pairs, and hyphens for list items, making it ideal for configuration files.
How to Use
Basic Operations
- Paste or enter YAML data in the left input box
- Select indent size
- Click 'Format' to beautify, 'Minify' to reduce size, or 'Validate' to check syntax
- View results on the right
- Click 'Copy' to copy to clipboard
Options Description
FAQ
Q: What's the difference between .yaml and .yml files?
A: They are identical, just different file extensions. .yaml is the officially recommended extension, while .yml is a historical shorthand. There is no practical difference between them.
Q: Why does my YAML file have errors?
A: The most common YAML errors are indentation issues. Make sure: 1. Use spaces, not tabs; 2. Keep indentation levels consistent; 3. Add a space after colons; 4. Add a space after list item hyphens.
Q: Does YAML support comments?
A: Yes! YAML uses the # symbol to add comments, which can appear at the end of a line or on their own line. This is a major advantage of YAML over JSON.
Q: How do I represent special characters in YAML?
A: If a string contains special characters (colons, hash signs, brackets, etc.), wrap it in quotes: single quotes don't parse escape characters, double quotes support escape characters like \n for newlines.
Q: Is my data safe?
A: Completely safe. All processing is done locally in your browser, and data is never uploaded to any server.