Input

Mode:

Output

What Is an HTML Formatter?

An HTML formatter (also called an HTML beautifier) takes poorly indented or minified HTML and outputs a clean, properly indented version. It adds newlines after each tag and indents nested elements so the structure is immediately readable. A well-structured HTML document is easier to review, debug, and maintain.

This tool has two modes: Format (beautify) and Minify. Both run entirely in your browser; no data is sent to a server.

How to Use This Tool

1

Choose Mode

Select Format to beautify HTML with proper indentation, or Minify to remove unnecessary whitespace and comments.

2

Paste or Upload HTML

Paste your HTML into the left editor, or use Upload to load a file. Click Sample to try an example.

3

Copy or Download Result

The right panel updates automatically. Use <strong>Copy</strong> or <strong>Download</strong> to save the result. To escape special characters in HTML, try the HTML Escape tool.

HTML Formatting Example

Below is a compact HTML snippet before and after formatting:

Raw (unformatted) HTML

Input

Formatted output

Output

When Formatting Matters

Minified or auto-generated HTML can be hard to read. Formatting adds indentation so you can quickly see the nesting structure of elements. This is especially helpful when debugging templates, reviewing code in pull requests, or onboarding onto a new codebase.

Minify mode does the opposite: it removes whitespace and comments to reduce file size. For a dedicated minifier, see the HTML Minifier tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does formatting change how the HTML renders?

No. Whitespace between block elements has no visual effect in browsers. Formatting only affects readability of the source code.

Will it break inline elements like &lt;span&gt; or &lt;a&gt;?

For most code, formatting is safe. Inline elements within text may have extra newlines added, which in theory could introduce a small space in browsers, but in practice this rarely causes visible issues.

Is my HTML sent to a server?

No. All processing runs in your browser.

What does the Minify mode do?

Minify removes HTML comments and collapses whitespace between tags, reducing file size. It is the same logic as the dedicated HTML Minifier tool.

Related Tools

See the HTML Living Standard for authoritative reference. MDN HTML documentation covers all elements and attributes. For validators, see the W3C Markup Validation Service.