About ShadowReference

Who we are

ShadowReference is an independently operated developer toolkit at shadowreference.com. We build and maintain 33 practical browser-based utilities — JSON formatting, JWT inspection, Base64, regex testing, UUID generation, timestamps, HTML/CSS/SQL helpers, and more.ShadowReference is a software toolkit for engineers, not an art lighting or shading reference product.

The project exists because developers deserve fast tools that do not require uploading API payloads, tokens, or customer data to a stranger’s server just to indent JSON or decode a JWT.

What “runs in your browser” means

Every tool executes locally using your browser’s JavaScript engine and Web APIs. Tool inputs are not sent to ShadowReference servers for processing. There is no account required to use the tools, and we do not store what you paste in a database.

Like most websites, we may use privacy-respecting analytics (Google Analytics) to understand page views, navigation, and which tools are popular. Analytics does not receive the contents of tool input or output panels. Details are in our Privacy Policy.

Our principles

• Your paste contents stay on your device during tool processing.
• Clear errors, keyboard-friendly UI, and sample inputs for learning safely.
• Honest limitations on each page — we do not pretend a snippet formatter is Prettier or a full compiler.
• Original documentation and guides that explain safe workflows, not only keyword blurbs.
• Ongoing maintenance — see the changelog.

Advertising

When ads are enabled, they are labeled, kept away from tool controls, and never receive what you type into a tool. We aim for a sustainable free toolkit without paywalling core utilities. If ads ever interfere with usability, tell us via Contact.

Contact & legal

Questions, bug reports, and feature ideas: Contact. Legal terms: Terms. Last major documentation refresh: 13 October 2026.

All 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.
• JWT Decoder — Inspect JWT tokens like jwt.io, in your browser.
• Base64 Encoder / Decoder — Encode or decode Base64 text.
• URL Encoder / Decoder — Encode and decode URL strings.
• HTML Entity Encoder / Decoder — Escape and unescape HTML entities.
• URL Parser — Break down any URL into its parts.
• UUID Generator — Generate random UUID v4 identifiers.
• Regex Tester — Test regex patterns with live matches.
• Regex Escape / Unescape — Make text safe for regex patterns.
• Timestamp Converter — Convert Unix timestamps to dates.
• Date & Time Converter — Convert dates across common formats.
• HTTP Status Code Reference — Quick reference for HTTP status codes.
• Color Converter — Convert colors across formats.
• CSS Formatter / Minifier — Format or minify CSS.
• HTML Formatter / Minifier — Format or minify HTML markup.
• JavaScript Formatter / Minifier — Format or minify JavaScript (lightweight).
• SQL Formatter — Make SQL readable.
• Markdown Previewer — Write Markdown and preview rendered HTML.
• Markdown File Reader — Read and preview Markdown files in your browser.
• Code Compare — Diff two code blocks instantly.
• CSV ↔ JSON — Convert between CSV and JSON.
• YAML Validator — Validate and format YAML.
• XML Formatter / Validator — Format and validate XML.
• Hash Generator — One-way cryptographic hashes in the browser.
• HMAC Generator — Generate HMAC signatures locally.
• cURL to Fetch — Turn cURL into fetch() code.
• cURL to Axios — Turn cURL into Axios code.
• QR Code Generator — Create QR codes locally.