Can Docker Compose files be converted?

Yes. docker-compose.yml files are standard YAML and convert fully to JSON.

No. Conversion runs entirely in the browser.

YAML to JSON · Config · API

Convert YAML to JSON online

Q: Why convert YAML to JSON?

JSON is the standard format for REST APIs, databases, and most programming language ecosystems. YAML config files often need to be converted to JSON for injection into APIs or scripts.

Updated: May 2026

You have a YAML config file — Docker Compose, Kubernetes, Ansible, GitHub Actions — and you need JSON to feed an API, a script, or a database. This page explains how to convert YAML to JSON cleanly, without third-party tools or server-side uploads.

Use the YAML JSON tool →

Free · No upload · Browser-based conversion

Why convert YAML to JSON

YAML is designed for human readability: clean indentation, optional quotes, comments. JSON is designed for machines: strict syntax, compatible with every REST API, NoSQL database, and language parser.

Inject a Docker service config into an API that expects JSON.
Transform a Kubernetes manifest to validate against a JSON Schema.
Convert Ansible variables for use in a Python or Node.js script.
Debug a YAML configuration by inspecting its parsed JSON structure.

YAML structure and JSON equivalent

service:
  name: api-gateway
  port: 8080
  replicas: 3
  env:
    - NODE_ENV=production
    - LOG_LEVEL=info

Becomes:

{
  "service": {
    "name": "api-gateway",
    "port": 8080,
    "replicas": 3,
    "env": [
      "NODE_ENV=production",
      "LOG_LEVEL=info"
    ]
  }
}

Types are preserved: 8080 stays an integer, true/false become JSON booleans, null or ~ become null.

Edge cases to know

Strings that look like numbers: wrap "75001" in quotes in YAML to keep it as a string.
Boolean aliases: YAML accepts yes, no, on, off as booleans. They become true/false in JSON.
Comments: YAML comments (#) are dropped — JSON has no equivalent.

How to convert with Flowfiles

Open the YAML JSON tool.
Select YAML → JSON mode (default).
Paste your YAML in the source area or upload the file.
Click Convert.
Copy the JSON or download the .json file.

Frequently asked questions

My YAML contains special characters — is that handled?

Yes. Strings in single or double quotes in YAML are correctly decoded. Escape sequences like \n and \t in double-quoted strings are preserved.

Are multi-document Kubernetes files supported?

Files with multiple documents separated by --- are partially supported. The tool converts the first detected document.

Are data types preserved?

Yes. Integers, floats, booleans, and null are automatically detected and mapped to their JSON equivalents.

Does the tool work offline?

Once the page is loaded, yes. Conversion runs entirely in the browser without additional network requests.