HTML Formatter

HTML Formatter

Format and beautify HTML code with proper indentation, tag validation, and error highlighting in real-time. Perfect for code readability, debugging, and clean markup generation with customizable formatting options and minification support.

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Quick Presets
Common HTML samples for quick formatting
Input
Paste HTML to normalize indentation and formatting for readability.
How it works: Normalizes HTML indentation and tag nesting using a regex-based parser. Choose between 2-space and 4-space indentation.

Complete Guide: HTML Formatter

Everything you need to know about using this tool effectively

What is HTML Formatter?

The HTML Formatter takes messy or minified HTML and reformats it with consistent indentation and line breaks. It parses the HTML structure, inserts newlines between tags, and adds indentation based on nesting depth. The tool preserves all attributes, content, and functionality. It only changes whitespace. All processing happens in the browser.

This tool tokenizes HTML into tags and text nodes, then reconstructs the document with proper formatting. It adds a newline before each opening and closing tag and indents based on the current nesting level. Self-closing tags and void elements (br, hr, img, input) are handled correctly. Embedded style and script blocks are preserved as-is.

Key Features
Formats minified or messy HTML with proper indentation
Configurable indent size (spaces or tabs)
Preserves all tags, attributes, and content
Handles HTML5, XHTML, and legacy HTML
Supports embedded CSS and JavaScript blocks
Real-time formatting with instant output
Copy formatted HTML to clipboard
Runs in the browser with no uploads
Common Use Cases
When and why you might need this tool

Beautifying minified HTML for debugging

Expand a minified HTML file into readable code so you can trace structure and find issues.

Preparing HTML for code reviews

Format HTML before submitting a pull request so reviewers can read the structure clearly.

Cleaning up generated HTML

Reformat HTML output from a CMS or WYSIWYG editor that produces unindented code.

Learning HTML structure

Format example HTML to see how nested elements relate to each other through indentation.

How to Use This Tool
Step-by-step guide to get the best results
1

Paste HTML code

Copy and paste messy or minified HTML into the input area.

2

Set indent options

Choose spaces or tabs and set the indent size.

3

Format

Click Format. The tool reformats the HTML with proper indentation.

4

Copy the result

Copy the formatted HTML for use in your editor or project.

Pro Tips
1

Formatting only changes whitespace. It does not modify tags, attributes, or content.

2

Use 2-space indentation for compact output. Use 4-space for more visible nesting.

3

Format HTML before committing to version control for cleaner diffs.

4

The tool handles embedded style and script blocks without reformatting their contents.

Frequently Asked Questions
Will formatting change how my page displays?

No. Formatting only changes whitespace (indentation and line breaks). The HTML elements, attributes, and content are unchanged, so the page renders identically.

Can I format minified HTML?

Yes. Paste minified HTML and the tool expands it with proper line breaks and indentation.

Does it work with HTML5?

Yes. The formatter supports HTML5, XHTML, and older HTML versions. It recognizes void elements and self-closing tags correctly.

Is my code uploaded to a server?

No. All formatting happens in your browser using JavaScript. The code never leaves your device.

Can I choose tabs instead of spaces?

Yes. The indent options let you choose between spaces (with configurable size) and tabs.