How is this different from just reading the YAML text?

The viewer collapses deep structures. A 2000-line Kubernetes manifest becomes a dozen top-level keys you can click to expand. Much faster triage than scrolling.

Does it show resolved anchors and aliases?

Optional — toggle 'expand anchors' to see the fully-resolved tree. Leave off to see the original compact form with `*ref` references.

Can I search within large YAML files?

Yes, full-text search with path highlighting. The matching keys are revealed automatically even if their parent was collapsed.

Is the viewer editable?

No — use the YAML Parser or a local editor for modifications. The viewer is for inspection.

YAML Viewer | DevTools Surf

DevTools Surf

Example: YAML Viewer

A worked example, rendered from real sample data. Sign in to run the tool on your own input.

Input

users:
  - name: Alice
    role: admin
    skills:
      - TypeScript
      - React
  - name: Bob
    role: developer

Output

users:
  - name: Alice
    role: admin
    skills:
      - TypeScript
      - React
  - name: Bob
    role: developer

About YAML Viewer

View YAML in a structured tree format. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the YAML collection.

Use Cases

DevOps engineers exploring Kubernetes resource definitions visually
Backend devs inspecting application configuration hierarchies
SREs reviewing Prometheus or Alertmanager YAML rule files
Data engineers viewing structured YAML data pipeline configs

Tips

Expand nested mappings to explore deeply structured configs
Search for specific keys to navigate large YAML files quickly
Use the tree view to understand inheritance and override patterns

Fun Facts

Kubernetes adopted YAML as its primary configuration format in 2014, driving a massive surge in YAML usage across the industry.
YAML supports anchors (&) and aliases (*) for reusing data, a feature many developers don't know exists.
A single Kubernetes cluster can contain thousands of YAML manifests totaling hundreds of thousands of lines.

FAQ

How is this different from just reading the YAML text?: The viewer collapses deep structures. A 2000-line Kubernetes manifest becomes a dozen top-level keys you can click to expand. Much faster triage than scrolling.
Does it show resolved anchors and aliases?: Optional — toggle 'expand anchors' to see the fully-resolved tree. Leave off to see the original compact form with `*ref` references.
Can I search within large YAML files?: Yes, full-text search with path highlighting. The matching keys are revealed automatically even if their parent was collapsed.
Is the viewer editable?: No — use the YAML Parser or a local editor for modifications. The viewer is for inspection.

Related YAML Tools

YAML Validator YAML Formatter YAML Parser YAML Multi-Doc Splitter YAML Anchor Expander JSON Viewer XML Viewer .env → YAML