JSON to YAML Converter: Kubernetes & DevOps Guide (with Examples)

YAML is everywhere in DevOps.

• Kubernetes manifests
• GitHub Actions / CI pipelines
• Docker Compose
• Helm values

But many systems and APIs still speak JSON.

So a very common workflow is: take JSON → convert to YAML → commit to repo.

Use our JSON to YAML converter when you want a quick, reliable conversion without writing scripts.

What’s the difference between JSON and YAML?

Both represent the same data structures (objects/maps, arrays/lists, strings, numbers, booleans). The biggest differences:

• YAML is indentation-sensitive (whitespace matters)
• YAML often looks cleaner for humans
• JSON is stricter and easier for machines to validate

That’s why many teams author configs in YAML but generate or transport data as JSON.

Quick example: Kubernetes Deployment (JSON → YAML)

JSON input

json{
  "apiVersion": "apps/v1",
  "kind": "Deployment",
  "metadata": { "name": "demo-web" },
  "spec": {
    "replicas": 2,
    "selector": { "matchLabels": { "app": "demo-web" } },
    "template": {
      "metadata": { "labels": { "app": "demo-web" } },
      "spec": {
        "containers": [
          { "name": "web", "image": "nginx:1.27", "ports": [{ "containerPort": 80 }] }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}

YAML output

yamlapiVersion: apps/v1
kind: Deployment
metadata:
  name: demo-web
spec:
  replicas: 2
  selector:
    matchLabels:
      app: demo-web
  template:
    metadata:
      labels:
        app: demo-web
    spec:
      containers:
        - name: web
          image: nginx:1.27
          ports:
            - containerPort: 80

Step-by-step: how to convert JSON to YAML

1. Open JSON to YAML
2. Paste JSON on the left (or click Sample)
3. Copy or download YAML from the right panel
4. (Optional) Validate your JSON first with JSON Validator

Common pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

1) Indentation and whitespace

YAML uses indentation to define structure. If you manually edit YAML afterward, a single misaligned space can break parsing.

Tip: Convert first, then edit cautiously. If a tool rejects YAML, re-check indentation around lists (- item).

2) Arrays/lists are the #1 source of mistakes

In YAML, arrays look like:

yamlcontainers:
  - name: web
    image: nginx

If you accidentally write:

yamlcontainers:
  name: web

You’ve turned a list into an object.

3) Strings that look like booleans or numbers

YAML can interpret unquoted values as booleans/numbers/dates.

Examples:

• on, off, yes, no might be interpreted as booleans by some parsers
• 2026-01-27 might be interpreted as a date

Rule of thumb: If the value must remain a string, quote it.

JSON ↔ YAML: choose the direction

• If you’re starting from YAML (Helm values, kube manifests), use YAML to JSON.
• If you’re starting from a JSON API response, use JSON to YAML.

Privacy

The conversion runs in your browser. Your JSON/YAML is not uploaded to a server.

Try it now

• Convert JSON to YAML: JSON to YAML
• Convert YAML back to JSON: YAML to JSON
• Validate input: JSON Validator