ShadowReferenceFree online JSON formatter, JWT decoder & developer tools
ShadowReference is a free online developer toolkit. Beautify JSON, decode tokens, encode Base64, test regex, generate UUIDs, and more — entirely in your browser. Your paste contents are never uploaded for processing.
$ no login · no uploads · no server-side processing
Why ShadowReference
Built for private, everyday engineering work
Local processing
Formatters, decoders, and converters run in your browser. Tool inputs are not sent to our servers.
Real documentation
Each tool includes how-tos, limitations, examples, FAQs, and links to original guides — not empty shells.
Actively maintained
We publish updates on the changelog and keep popular tools reviewed. See About for who runs this site.
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Featured Tools
JSON Formatter
Beautify JSON with instant validation.
JSON Validator
Check JSON syntax instantly.
JSON Minifier
Compact JSON for production payloads.
JSON to TypeScript
Generate TypeScript types from JSON.
JSON to CSV
Turn JSON arrays into spreadsheet-ready CSV.
JSON ↔ YAML
Switch between JSON and YAML formats.
Learn
Guides
8 min read
How to Format JSON Safely in Your Browser
Learn how to pretty-print and validate JSON locally without uploading API payloads or secrets to a third-party server.
9 min read
Decode JWT Tokens Without Uploading Them
Understand JWT header and payload claims, why decoding is not verification, and how to inspect tokens privately in the browser.
7 min read
Base64 Encoding Is Not Encryption
Clear explanation of Base64 vs encryption, when to encode or decode, and how to use a private Base64 tool for UTF-8 text.
8 min read
Why Private Browser Developer Tools Matter
Why ShadowReference runs every tool in your browser, what “no upload” really means, and how that helps day-to-day engineering work.