Formatters
GraphQL Formatter
Paste GraphQL on the left, hit Run, copy stable indent so diffs stay small and reviews stay kind. No Node, no pip, no Docker for a five-minute job. That is the graphql formatter.
Drop a file on the left. Drafts stay in this browser. Shortcut: Ctrl or Cmd + Enter to run.
How this graphql formatter works
- Paste or drop a .graphql file into the input on the left.
- Flip options if you see them (comments, indent, case). Defaults are the safe ones.
- Hit Run, or Ctrl / Cmd + Enter. Leave “Process on server” off unless you mean it.
- Read the status line, then copy, download, or jump to a related tool.
What this graphql formatter is for
The file is already in front of you. You need to format it without opening a whole IDE profile. Paste, run, copy. Typical timing: every time a payload or query has to be read by a human — APIs, SQL, YAML, HTML emails.
You walk away with stable indent so diffs stay small and reviews stay kind.
What it will not pretend to be
This is not a linter. Format can hide problems that a validator would still catch. Selection sets minify by collapsing space. Field arguments and aliases remain; this is not a query planner.
By default nothing leaves the tab. Tick “Process on server” only if you want to compare results or use gzip numbers that match the server library.
A practical way to use it
Drop a .graphql file onto the input or paste. Flip options if they are there. Run. Read the status line. Copy or download. Drafts stay on this device so a refresh does not punish you.
When you are done, hop a related tool instead of starting over: minify and beautify toss the file back and forth, format and validate often share a parser, convert wants valid input first.
The small print that saves a round-trip
Selection sets minify by collapsing space. Field arguments and aliases remain; this is not a query planner.
You searched “graphql formatter online.” You got an editor, not a login wall. That is the deal.
Frequently asked questions
What does formatting GraphQL actually do to the file?
Formatting GraphQL is about a stable shape: indent, wrapping, keyword casing where it helps. Example: query { tool { name } } reads easier as query {\n tool { name }\n}. It is not a linter and not a compiler.
Should I format GraphQL before I go live, or while I edit?
Edit in a readable shape. formatting belongs to the moment the file has to be understood (beautify/format/validate) or the moment it leaves your hands (minify/encode). Mixing those moods is how minified HTML becomes your only source of truth — a sad place to live.
Can formatting GraphQL break what I already put live?
Selection sets minify by collapsing space. Field arguments and aliases remain; this is not a query planner. Glance at the output once. A 20-second read beats a 20-minute “why did production go weird” thread.
Got a simple before-and-after for graphql formatter?
Sure. Before: query { tool { name } } After: query {\n tool { name }\n}. That is the whole mood of the tool — same job, different clothing. If your real file is huge, try a representative slice first so you can see the rule, not a wall of text.
What about comments, strings, and data that look like code?
Strings are data. 'a + b' is not math. Comments are notes — minify may drop them, beautify should keep them if the engine sees them. GraphQL has its own trap: Selection sets minify by collapsing space. Field arguments and aliases remain; this is not a query planner.
Any fun GraphQL fact worth remembering?
Fun fact: GraphQL ignores commas. tool { name, slug } and tool { name slug } are the same query. Minify can drop the commas; the server does not miss them.
Do I still need a bundler, Prettier, or a schema tool?
For an app in git: yes — keep the project formatter and the bundler. This graphql formatter is for the five-minute paste: a log line, a vendor dump, an email template, an API body. Different altitude, same mountain.
When should I not use a graphql formatter?
Skip it when the file is a binary, when you need a full language compiler, or when a single sample cannot represent the format (Excel workbooks, YAML with anchors, HTML that is really a React tree). Also skip minify as your only copy of source. Keep a readable original.