Readable nesting at a glance
Every block-level element drops onto its own indented line, so the parent-child structure of a page or email template is visible without collapsing tags in an editor.
HTML Formatter & Beautifier
Re-indent messy HTML into clean, readable, properly nested markup.
- Input
- No upload needed — instant
- Privacy
- Nothing is uploaded
- Cost
- Free · no sign-up · no watermark
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Processed entirely on your device
Everything you type or paste is handled by JavaScript running in this tab. No request is sent, nothing is logged and nothing is stored. Close the page and it is gone.
Overview
About the HTML Formatter & Beautifier
Format and beautify HTML online. Re-indent tangled markup with 2 or 4 spaces, keep inline elements tidy and make templates readable — entirely in your browser.
Formatted HTML is the difference between reviewing a template in seconds and squinting at one long line for minutes. Markup that comes out of email builders, CMS exports, framework renderers and minifiers has usually had its structure flattened, and a human being has to put that structure back before they can read it.
What formatting actually changes
Indentation is the only real change. Every block-level element opens on its own line, its children are indented one step further, and the closing tag returns to the parent's level. No tags are added or removed and no text content is altered.
Because whitespace between block elements is not rendered, re-indenting a page never changes how it looks in a browser. The output differs from the input byte for byte while remaining pixel for pixel identical on screen.
How each kind of element is treated
Keeping inline tags on the same line as their text is what makes a formatted paragraph readable. If every span dropped onto its own line a single sentence would span a dozen rows and the structure would be harder to read, not easier.
Where literal whitespace is preserved
Three contexts treat whitespace as content, and a correct formatter leaves them alone: the pre element, textarea, and anything styled with white-space set to pre or pre-wrap. Re-indenting those would change the rendered output, so the tokens inside are passed through exactly as they arrived.
Formatting versus minifying
These are opposite operations on the same source. Format when a human has to read, review or diff the markup; minify when it ships to a browser and every byte costs bandwidth. Most teams keep the formatted version in source control and minify during the build, which makes the two tools two ends of one workflow rather than rivals.
Step by step
How to use the HTML Formatter & Beautifier
Paste your HTML into the input panel — a whole document or a fragment both work.
Choose 2 or 4 space indentation, then press Format HTML.
Read the re-indented output; inline elements stay on one line so the shape is obvious.
Copy the result or download it as an .html file.
Why use it
Benefits and common use cases
What this tool is good for, and what it deliberately does not try to do.
Tames machine-generated markup
HTML emitted by builders, email platforms and frameworks often arrives as one long line. Formatting turns it into something a human can review and diff.
Two or four spaces, your convention
Match whichever indent width your project already uses so the formatted output drops straight back in without a whitespace-only diff.
Nothing is uploaded
Templates frequently contain unpublished structure and tracking snippets. Formatting happens in your tab, so none of it reaches a server.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Short, honest answers about quality, limits and privacy.
Does formatting change how the page renders?
No. Whitespace between block-level tags is not rendered, so re-indenting is purely cosmetic. The exception is inside pre, textarea and elements styled with white-space: pre, where literal spacing is content and is left untouched.
Will it fix invalid or unclosed HTML?
It is a formatter, not a validator or repair tool. It indents the tags it finds and keeps void elements such as br and img unpaired, but it will not invent missing closing tags or correct nesting errors — use a markup validator for that.
How are inline elements handled?
Inline tags such as span, a, strong and em are kept on the same line as their surrounding text so a paragraph reads as one line instead of exploding into a dozen. Only block-level elements get their own line.
Can I format an entire HTML document?
Yes. Paste the full source including the html, head and body elements; each section is indented to show the document tree. Very large documents are limited only by browser memory.
Is there a size limit?
No imposed limit. The formatter runs in your browser, so the constraint is available memory and time — documents beyond a few megabytes still work but may take a moment.