# DevTools Surf — full tool index
> A machine-readable digest of every tool on DevTools Surf. Each entry includes the tool's description, recommended use cases, tips for getting the most out of it, and one fun fact — generated for AI crawlers and LLM retrieval systems.
Generated: 2026-04-22T10:05:11.908Z
Tools: 543 · Categories: 28
---
## JSON
### [JSON Formatter](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-formatter)
Format and prettify JSON with syntax highlighting
**Use cases:**
- Prettify minified API responses for debugging
- Format config files before committing to git
- Clean up messy JSON from copy-paste
- Validate and fix JSON from legacy systems
**Tips:**
- Paste relaxed JSON with comments, single quotes, or trailing commas — it auto-fixes them
- Use the indent pills to switch between 2-space, 4-space, tab, or minified
- Enable 'Sort keys' to alphabetize all object keys recursively
**Fun facts:**
- JSON was inspired by JavaScript object literals but is actually language-independent. Douglas Crockford popularized it in 2001.
- The entire JSON grammar can be expressed in just 6 railroad diagrams — it is one of the simplest data formats ever designed.
- JSON does not support comments by design. Crockford removed them because people were using comments to hold parsing directives, which broke interoperability.
*Tags:* format, prettify, indent
---
### [JSON Validator](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-validator)
Validate JSON syntax and structure
**Tips:**
- It detects and auto-corrects common issues: comments, unquoted keys, trailing commas
- Validation errors show the exact position of the problem
- Pair with JSON Schema to validate structure, not just syntax
**Fun facts:**
- The JSON specification is only 10 pages long — one of the shortest data format specs ever written.
- JSON technically allows duplicate keys in objects, but the behavior is undefined — different parsers handle them differently.
- ECMA-404, the JSON standard, was approved in just 3 months — the fastest ECMA standard ever ratified.
*Tags:* validate, lint, check
---
### [JSON Viewer](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-viewer)
Explore JSON data in a tree view
**Use cases:**
- Quick view transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your view input on the left and click View — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Viewer does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: view, tree, explore. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* view, tree, explore
---
### [JSON Stringify](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-stringify)
Convert JSON to escaped string representation
**Use cases:**
- Quick stringify transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your stringify input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Stringify does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: stringify, escape, string. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* stringify, escape, string
---
### [JSON Patch](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-patch)
Generate or apply RFC 6902 JSON Patch operations
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Patch does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, patch, rfc6902. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, patch, rfc6902
---
### [JSON Diff](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-diff)
Compare two JSON documents and show structural differences
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Diff does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, diff, compare. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, diff, compare
---
### [JSONPath Tester](https://devtools.surf/tools/jsonpath-tester)
Test JSONPath expressions against a JSON document
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSONPath Tester does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, jsonpath, query. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, jsonpath, query
---
### [JSON Sort Keys](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-sort-keys)
Recursively sort all keys in a JSON document alphabetically
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Sort Keys does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, sort, keys. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, sort, keys, alphabetical
---
### [JSON Flatten / Unflatten](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-flatten)
Flatten nested JSON to dot-notation or unflatten back
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Flatten / Unflatten does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, flatten, unflatten. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, flatten, unflatten, dot-notation
---
### [JSON Minifier](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-minifier)
Minify JSON with size statistics
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Minifier does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, minify, compress. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, minify, compress, size
---
### [JSON Merge / Deep Merge](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-merge)
Deep merge two JSON objects together
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Merge / Deep Merge does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, merge, deep. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, merge, deep, combine
---
### [JSON ↔ JSON5](https://devtools.surf/tools/json5-converter)
Convert between strict JSON and relaxed JSON5 format
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON ↔ JSON5 does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, json5, convert. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, json5, convert, relaxed
---
### [NDJSON / JSONL Viewer](https://devtools.surf/tools/ndjson-viewer)
Parse and display newline-delimited JSON line by line
**Use cases:**
- Quick ndjson transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your ndjson input on the left and click View — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the NDJSON / JSONL Viewer does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: ndjson, jsonl, newline. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* ndjson, jsonl, newline, viewer
---
### [JSON Path Finder](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-path-finder)
Enter JSON and a value to get every JSONPath that matches
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Path Finder does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, jsonpath, search. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, jsonpath, search
---
### [Smart JSON Diff](https://devtools.surf/tools/diff-two-json)
Structural diff between two JSON docs with summary stats
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the Smart JSON Diff does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, diff. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, diff
---
### [JSON Escape String](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-escape-string)
Escape any text as a JSON-safe string with \n \t \uXXXX handling
**Tips:**
- Escapes newlines, tabs, quotes, backslashes, and control chars
- Produces a valid JSON string literal you can paste into any JSON value
- Non-ASCII characters are also escaped to \uXXXX for maximum safety
**Fun facts:**
- JSON.stringify() handles ~18 different escape sequences, but only five (\" \\ \n \r \t) are common.
- JSON requires forward slashes to be optionally escapable (\/) — a quirk inherited from its use inside would break HTML parsing.
- The U+2028 (line separator) and U+2029 (paragraph separator) characters are valid in JSON strings but invalid in JavaScript — a mismatch that wasn't fixed until ES2019.
*Tags:* json, escape, string
---
### [JSON Unescape String](https://devtools.surf/tools/json-unescape-string)
Reverse JSON escape sequences back to raw text
**Use cases:**
- Quick json transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your json input on the left and click Run — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the JSON Unescape String does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: json, unescape, string. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- JSON is the lingua franca of web APIs — over 80% of public REST endpoints return JSON responses.
- Douglas Crockford discovered JSON in 2001 but insists he didn't invent it — he says 'it was already being used by some people, I just gave it a name and a website.'
- JSON5, a superset of JSON that allows comments, trailing commas, and unquoted keys, was created in 2012 to bring back the readability that Crockford deliberately removed.
*Tags:* json, unescape, string
---
### [JMESPath Tester](https://devtools.surf/tools/jmespath-tester)
Query JSON with JMESPath expressions + live result + examples
**Tips:**
- Put the JMESPath expression on line 1 and JSON from line 2 onward
- Use users[*].name to project a field across an array
- Bracket indexes [0], [-1] are supported
**Fun facts:**
- JMESPath is used by the AWS CLI — every --query you've ever written is JMESPath syntax.
- JMESPath was created by James Saryerwinnie at Amazon and has official implementations in Python, Go, JavaScript, Java, PHP, Ruby, Lua, and Rust.
- Unlike JSONPath, JMESPath has a formal ABNF grammar specification, making it one of the few JSON query languages with deterministic behavior across implementations.
*Tags:* json, jmespath, query
---
## HTML
### [HTML Formatter](https://devtools.surf/tools/html-formatter)
Format and indent HTML code
**Use cases:**
- Quick format transformations during development
- Debugging production payloads without leaving the browser
- Generating sample data for tests, demos, and documentation
- Sharing reproducible tool output with teammates
**Tips:**
- Paste your format input on the left and click Format — results appear instantly on the right.
- Click "Try Sample" to load an example that demonstrates what the HTML Formatter does.
- Copy the output with the button above the panel, or download it as a file with the icon next to it.
- Related keywords: format, html, indent. If you're looking for a specific variant, check the Related tools strip below.
**Fun facts:**
- HTML5 has ~100 standard elements. The oldest,
, has been in every HTML spec since Tim Berners-Lee's 1991 draft.
- The