Use JSTool

As of Notepad++ v7.6, you can use the Plugin Admin option in Notepad++ to install JSTool.

Manual Install

  1. Download it from https://www.sunjw.us/jstool/npp/#download
  2. Copy JSMinNpp.dll to the plugin directory of Notepad++. You may need to create a directory named "JSMinNPP" in the plugin directory after version 7.6.3

Here's an example of JSON that's been formatted using the tool:

{
  "menu" : {
    "id" : "file",
    "value" : "File",
    "popup" : {
      "menuitem" : [{
      "value" : "New",
          "onclick" : "CreateNewDoc()"
        }, {
          "value" : "Open",
          "onclick" : "OpenDoc()"
        }, {
          "value" : "Close",
          "onclick" : "CloseDoc()"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Tip: Select the code you want to reformat, then Plugins | JSTool | JSFormat.

Answer from Dan on Stack Overflow
Discussions

A tool better than Notepad++ for reading/writing jsons?
There are several json editing options, personally I use notepad++ but you could try visual studio code which is a free download. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/Battletechgame
29
9
February 2, 2020
How can I jump to the parent node of a JSON object in Notepad++?
Not sure with notepad++ but I bet vs code can do it More on reddit.com
🌐 r/techsupport
2
1
May 10, 2024
Can't format large one-line JSON file (native formatter, Beautify and Prettier don't work)

At this point I would consider using an external program to do it.

There are multiple approaches and google should help. If you have python installed (on Linux or otherwise), it has a built-in module to help.

More on reddit.com
🌐 r/vscode
9
2
August 5, 2018
How to properly open .json file?
I recommend getting VS Code https://code.visualstudio.com/ It's a fairly lightweight editor than has many included features. You can open a JSON file in there and press Shift + Alt + F to automatically make it human-readable. It will also give you tree structures and such to easily search around it. See https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/languages/json for everything you can do. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/learnprogramming
4
1
January 25, 2021
People also ask

How do I format JSON in Notepad++ without a plugin?
Use Python from the command line: python -m json.tool input.json > output.json. Alternatively, paste the JSON into the browser DevTools console and run JSON.stringify(JSON.parse(...)). Both options work without installing anything in Notepad++.
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tms-outsource.com
tms-outsource.com › home › how to format json in notepad++ easily
How to Format JSON in Notepad++ Easily - TMS Outsource
How do I minify JSON in Notepad++?
With JSTool installed, go to Plugins > JSTool > JSMinify. With JSON Viewer, use Plugins > JSON Viewer > Compress JSON, or press Ctrl+Alt+Shift+C. Both strip all whitespace and collapse the JSON to a single line.
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tms-outsource.com
tms-outsource.com › home › how to format json in notepad++ easily
How to Format JSON in Notepad++ Easily - TMS Outsource
How do I install a JSON plugin in Notepad++?
Go to Plugins > Plugins Admin, search for JSTool or JSON Viewer, check the box, and click Install. Notepad++ restarts automatically. Plugins Admin requires Notepad++ version 7.6 or later.
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tms-outsource.com
tms-outsource.com › home › how to format json in notepad++ easily
How to Format JSON in Notepad++ Easily - TMS Outsource
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TMS Outsource
tms-outsource.com › home › how to format json in notepad++ easily
How to Format JSON in Notepad++ Easily - TMS Outsource
May 15, 2026 - This conclusion is for an article on how to format JSON in Notepad++, and the core takeaway is simple: the right plugin makes all the difference. JSTool covers most use cases with a single keyboard shortcut. JSON Viewer adds tree navigation when the structure gets complex. For large files, skip the plugins entirely. Python json.tool and jq handle JSON pretty-printing at scale without the memory constraints that slow Notepad++ down.
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W3Schools
w3schools.io › file › json-notepadplusplus
JSON format in notepad++| Syntax Highlight and open files in Notepad editor - w3schools
December 31, 2023 - step-by-step How to pretty print json files and enable syntax highlight in Notepad++ editor How can open json files json valid or invalid
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GitHub
github.com › molsonkiko › JsonToolsNppPlugin
GitHub - molsonkiko/JsonToolsNppPlugin: A Notepad++ plugin providing tools for JSON like linting, querying, a tree view, and CSV conversion. · GitHub
Please be sure to include diagnostic information about your system, Notepad++ version, and plugin version (go to ?->Debug Info... from the Notepad++ main menu). Pretty-print JSON so that it's spread out over multiple lines.
Starred by 176 users
Forked by 19 users
Languages   C# 97.5% | Python 2.1%
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Coderanch
coderanch.com › t › 787773 › java › notepad-format-big-json
notepad ++ how to format big json (Web Services forum at Coderanch)
February 5, 2025 - Tim Holloway wrote:But there are websites that do "JSON pretty-printing" that you can paste JSON into, click a button, and copy down the reformatted JSON. My favourite online formatter is: Curious Concept JSON Formatter & Validator In addition to being able to paste your content into the a page's form, you can also call its API from you unit/integration tests. ... sai rama krishna wrote:... any option to format these big payloads in Notepad...
Find elsewhere
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Code2care
code2care.org › home › q › prettify json in notepad++
Prettify JSON in Notepad++ | Code2care
September 25, 2024 - Click OK and Notepad++ should restart. Once the plugin is installed, open the JSON file in a tab, goto Plugins → JSTOOL → JSFORMAT to format/pretty print.
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codestudy
codestudy.net › blog › how-to-reformat-json-in-notepad
How to Reformat JSON in Notepad++: Pretty-Print Your JSON Easily (No TextFX Needed) — codestudy.net
The good news? You don’t need it! In this guide, we’ll walk you through **three simple, reliable methods** to reformat (pretty-print) JSON in Notepad++ using modern, supported plugins—no TextFX required. Whether you’re a developer, data analyst, or just someone working with JSON files, ...
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Notepad++ Community
community.notepad-plus-plus.org › topic › 25251 › json-tools-for-viewing-and-editing
JSON tools for viewing and editing | Notepad++ Community
December 16, 2023 - So if you get something that starts "{\"..., you can paste that into Notepad++, use the Plugins > JSON Tools > Dump JSON string(s) as raw text, which will open it in a new tab, and that new tab should be reasonable JSON for you to work with and see in the JSON Tools TreeView panel.
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SourceForge
sourceforge.net › projects › nppjsonviewer
JSONViewer Notepad++ plugin download | SourceForge.net
Download JSONViewer Notepad++ plugin for free. A JSON viewer plugin for notepad++ A JSON viewer plugin for notepad++. Displays the selected JSON string in a tree view.
Rating: 3.2 ​ - ​ 22 votes
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JsonViewer
jsonly.be › pages › json-formatting-faq.html
JSON Formatting FAQ - Complete Guide to JSON Beautification | JsonViewer
September 26, 2025 - Open your JSON file in Notepad++ Select all JSON content (Ctrl+A) Go to Plugins → JSON Viewer → Format JSON · Your JSON will be beautifully formatted · Format JSON: Pretty print with indentation · Compress JSON: Minify to single line ...
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JSON Formatter
jsonformatter.org
Best JSON Formatter and JSON Validator: Online JSON Formatter
Download JSON, once it's created or modified and it can be opened in Notepad++, Sublime, or VSCode alternative. JSON Format Checker helps to fix the missing quotes, click the setting icon which looks like a screwdriver on the left side of the editor to fix the format. Know more about JSON : How to Create JSON File? JSON Full Form · What is JSON? JSON Example with all data types including JSON Array. Python Pretty Print JSON ·
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GitHub
github.com › SkyN9ne › NppJSONTools
GitHub - SkyN9ne/NppJSONTools: A Notepad++ plugin providing tools for JSON like linting, querying, pretty-printing and minifying plus supports CSV conversion · GitHub
A Notepad++ plugin providing tools for JSON like linting, querying, pretty-printing and minifying plus supports CSV conversion - SkyN9ne/NppJSONTools
Author   SkyN9ne
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Codemia
codemia.io › knowledge-hub › path › how_to_reformat_json_in_notepad
How to reformat JSON in Notepad++
Enhance your system design skills with over 120 practice problems, detailed solutions, and hands-on exercises
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Notepad++ Community
community.notepad-plus-plus.org › topic › 26021 › help-for-a-json-formatting
Help for a JSON formatting. | Notepad++ Community
October 25, 2025 - Or, if you just want something quick in the browser, try a free online JSON viewer — it shows tree view and highlights errors instantly. I personally use JSONAce . com — it’s browser-only (no uploads) and formats + minifies JSON nicely. Once you pretty-print it, you’ll easily see where the missing commas or braces are.
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MiniTool Partition Wizard
partitionwizard.com › home › partition manager › how to format json in notepad++ properly? [2 ways]
How to Format JSON in Notepad++ Properly? [2 Ways]
November 28, 2024 - How to format JSON in Notepad++? Here we will show you 2 simple ways with clear screenshots. The first way is to use JSON Viewer plugin and the other is to use JSTool. If you have Notepad++ version 7.6 or above, the Plugin Admin feature is available.
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Notepad++ Community
community.notepad-plus-plus.org › topic › 25394 › how-to-view-the-line-separately-where-curly-bracket-are-used
how to view the line separately where curly bracket are used | Notepad++ Community
January 23, 2024 - If it’s just in that one place, and you have the JsonTools plugin installed, you could copy the contents of the fieldMap into a new tab, Plugins > JsonTools > Pretty-print current JSON file; or, if you have JSON Viewer plugin installed, then ...
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JSON Formatter
jsonformatter.org › 198884
remove
Download JSON, once it's created or modified and it can be opened in Notepad++, Sublime, or VSCode alternative. JSON Format Checker helps to fix the missing quotes, click the setting icon which looks like a screwdriver on the left side of the editor to fix the format. Know more about JSON : How to Create JSON File? JSON Full Form · What is JSON? JSON Example with all data types including JSON Array. Python Pretty Print JSON ·
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Notepad++ Community
community.notepad-plus-plus.org › topic › 26581 › novice-interpretate-json-files
Novice - Interpretate JSON files. | Notepad++ Community
January 26, 2025 - If you JSON is compressed all onto one line, then the JsonTools plugin has the Pretty-print current JSON file, which is “more readable” than if it’s all on one line.