JavaScript Beautifier: Format and Unminify JS Code

Beautified JavaScript

		

	
















FREE TOOL · NO SIGN-UP





This JavaScript beautifier takes minified or cramped code and rewrites it with line breaks, indentation and consistent spacing. It is for developers, technical SEOs and marketers who need to read a third-party script, debug a tag, or tidy a snippet before sharing it. Paste the code, pick an indent size, click Beautify JavaScript, and copy readable JS.





The formatter runs in your browser and does not upload your code. It understands strings, template literals, regular expressions and comments, so it will not break them while reformatting.













What a JavaScript Beautifier Does





Minifiers squeeze JavaScript onto as few lines as possible to save bytes. A beautifier reverses the layout part of that process.





Restoring structure





The tool reads your code token by token, then rebuilds it. Each statement goes on its own line. Opening braces stay on the same line as the function, if, for or object that owns them, and the block contents are indented one level. Closing braces return to the outer level, and } else {, } catch and } finally stay joined. Commas get a trailing space and operators are spaced out, so a=b+c becomes a = b + c. Comments are kept and given their own line where needed. The stats bar shows the line count and character count of the result, which gives a quick sense of how large the script really is.





What it can’t restore





Formatting brings back layout, not meaning. If a minifier renamed calculateShippingCost to t, the beautified code still says t. Comments removed during the build are gone. Code that was split into modules and bundled stays as one file. A beautifier also does not run, test or fix code. If the input has a syntax error, the output may look odd around that spot, which is often a useful clue for finding it.













How to Beautify JavaScript





The process takes a few seconds for most files.





Step 1: Paste code





Copy the JavaScript from a .min.js file, an inline <script> tag, a tag manager container or DevTools, and paste it into the JavaScript box. You can paste anything from a one-line snippet to a full library. Remove the surrounding <script> tags first if you copied HTML.





Step 2: Pick indent size





Choose 2 spaces, 4 spaces or Tab from the Indent menu. Two spaces is the most common choice in modern JavaScript projects and the default here. If you plan to paste the result into an existing codebase, match its style so diffs stay clean.





Step 3: Format





Click Beautify JavaScript. The formatted code appears in the output panel with the total number of lines. Large bundles can take a moment on slower devices. If something looks wrong, check the original for an unclosed string or bracket near that point.





Step 4: Copy the output





Click Copy to grab the result or Download to save it as script.js. Open it in your editor for searching and reading. To compress code again for production, use the JavaScript Minifier.













Beautifying vs Deobfuscating JavaScript





These terms are often used interchangeably, but they solve different problems.





Mangled variable names





Minifiers like Terser shorten local variable and function names to single letters to save space. Obfuscators go further: they encode strings, add fake control flow, wrap logic in arrays of hex values and make code deliberately hard to follow. A beautifier fixes layout, so minified code becomes quite readable, especially when public API names and string values are left intact. Obfuscated code becomes better laid out but still confusing. Deobfuscation needs specialized tools and manual work to rename variables and unwrap encoded strings.





Using source maps instead





If you own the code, source maps are the better route. A source map links each part of the minified file back to the original source, with real names, file paths and comments. Browsers load them automatically in DevTools, so you can set breakpoints in the original code. Many production sites do not publish source maps, which is when a beautifier helps.













Debugging Third-Party Scripts





Analytics tags, chat widgets, ad scripts and consent tools are almost always minified, and they often cause performance or tracking issues.





Pretty print in DevTools





Chrome, Edge and Firefox can pretty print a script inside DevTools. Open the Sources panel, select the file and click the {} button. You can then set breakpoints and step through the formatted code. This is the best option for live debugging. Copying code into a beautifier is better when you want a saved, searchable copy, want to share an excerpt with a colleague, or want to compare two versions of a script.





Auditing tags and pixels





For SEO and privacy audits, beautify a tag to see which domains it calls, what data it reads (cookies, URL parameters, form fields) and when it fires. Search the formatted code for fetch, XMLHttpRequest, sendBeacon and document.cookie. This helps you confirm consent settings work and spot scripts that slow down pages.













Formatter Settings for Teams





Inside a project, automate formatting rather than relying on manual cleanup.





Prettier config





Prettier is the most common JavaScript formatter. A small .prettierrc file sets indent width, quote style, semicolons and line length, and editors can format on save. Commit the config so everyone gets identical output.





ESLint rules alongside formatting





ESLint catches bugs and risky patterns such as unused variables or missing await. Let Prettier own formatting and ESLint own code quality, using a shared config that turns off ESLint’s style rules to avoid conflicts.













JavaScript Formatting Mistakes





Watch for these when working with beautified code.





Editing bundled output





Changes to a built bundle are overwritten on the next build. Find and edit the original source file instead.





Pasting secrets online





Remove API keys, tokens and credentials before pasting code into any online tool, including ones that run locally like this.





Inconsistent style across files





Formatting one file by hand while others differ creates noisy diffs. Use one shared formatter config across the repository.













Read Any Script in Seconds





Paste any script above and get readable JavaScript you can search, audit and share. Format the rest of your stack with the CSS Beautifier and HTML Beautifier, or clean up API data with the JSON Formatter. Every free tool is listed on FHSEO Hub.













JavaScript Beautifier: Format and Unminify JS Code FAQs









A JavaScript beautifier reformats code with line breaks, indentation and consistent spacing so it is easy to read. It puts each statement on its own line, indents blocks inside braces and spaces out operators. It does not change what the code does, so the script behaves exactly as before.









Yes, you can unminify JavaScript layout by pasting it into a beautifier, which restores line breaks and indentation. You cannot fully recover the original, though. Shortened variable names and removed comments stay lost. If the site publishes source maps, DevTools can show the original code with its real names.









No, beautifying is not the same as deobfuscating. Beautifying only fixes layout and spacing. Deobfuscating tries to undo deliberate tricks such as encoded strings, fake logic and meaningless names, which usually needs special tools and manual work. A beautifier is often the first step before deobfuscation.









Formatting does not change how JavaScript runs when it only adds whitespace and line breaks between tokens. A careful beautifier respects strings, regular expressions and template literals so their contents are untouched. Always test formatted code before deploying it, especially if the original relied on unusual syntax or had errors.









Use Prettier inside projects you maintain, because it formats every file the same way automatically on save or commit. Use an online JS beautifier for quick one-off jobs, such as reading a minified third-party script or tidying a snippet, where setting up a project formatter would be overkill.