Input

Output

What Is an HTML Formatter?

An HTML formatter takes messy, minified, or poorly indented HTML (HyperText Markup Language) and transforms it into clean, properly indented code. Whether you're working with a single snippet or an entire page, the formatter adds consistent indentation, aligns opening and closing tags, and makes the document structure immediately visible.

Well-formatted HTML is easier to read, debug, and maintain. The WHATWG HTML Living Standard defines the language's syntax, and our formatter respects those conventions — proper nesting of elements, handling of void elements like <br>, <img>, and <input>, and preservation of content inside <pre>, <script>, and <style> blocks.

Everything runs entirely in your browser. No server uploads, no data storage — paste your HTML, get beautified output, and copy or download it. Your code stays private.

How to Use the HTML Formatter

Follow these three steps to beautify your HTML. Each step uses the actual buttons and panels on this page.

Paste, Upload, or Load Sample

Paste your HTML into the left Input panel, or click Upload to load an .html, .htm, or .txt file. Click Sample to see example messy HTML.

<div class="wrapper"><h1>Hello</h1><p>World</p><ul><li>Item 1</li><li>Item 2</li></ul></div>

The formatter handles any HTML — full documents with doctype, partial snippets, or even single elements.

View Formatted Output

The right Output panel shows the beautified HTML instantly. Nested elements get 2-space indentation, and the tag hierarchy becomes clear at a glance. You can validate the result with the W3C Markup Validator.

Copy, Download, or Minify

Click Copy to copy the formatted HTML to your clipboard. Click Download to save as an .html file. Need compact HTML for production? Click Minify to strip whitespace. Use Clear on the input panel to start fresh.

When You'd Actually Use This

Cleaning Up Minified HTML

Production HTML is often minified for performance. When you need to inspect or edit it, this formatter restores proper indentation so you can understand the structure. Works great with output from build tools like minification pipelines.

Formatting Email Templates

Email HTML is notoriously messy with deeply nested tables and inline styles. Formatting makes it manageable so you can debug rendering issues across email clients.

Tidying CMS Output

Content management systems often generate bloated, poorly formatted HTML. Run it through the formatter to clean it up before editing or migrating content.

Standardizing Team Code

When multiple developers contribute HTML, formatting styles vary. Use this tool to enforce consistent indentation and structure across your project before code review.

Common Questions

Does the formatter change my HTML structure?

No. The formatter only adjusts whitespace and indentation. It does not add, remove, or reorder any HTML elements, attributes, or content. Your markup stays structurally identical.

How are void elements handled?

Void elements like <br>, <hr>, <img>, <input>, <meta>, and <link> are recognized as self-closing and placed on their own line without an indented child block. See the MDN void element reference.

Is my HTML data stored anywhere?

No. All formatting happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your HTML never leaves your computer — nothing is sent to a server.

What indentation does it use?

The formatter uses 2 spaces per indentation level, which is the most common convention for HTML. This keeps nested structures readable without consuming too much horizontal space.

Does it preserve content inside script and style tags?

Yes. Content within <pre>, <script>, <style>, and <textarea> tags is preserved exactly as-is to avoid breaking functionality or layout.

Can I format partial HTML snippets?

Absolutely. You don't need a full HTML document with <!DOCTYPE> and <html> tags. The formatter works with any HTML fragment — a single <div>, a table, a list, or a complete page.

Related HTML & Formatting Tools

Formatting is just one part of working with HTML. Here are other tools that pair well with it: