How is this different from the JSON formatter?

This tool works **inside a string**: it turns a value into something that can sit in a JSON string, or the reverse. A formatter works on the **structure** of a whole JSON document (indentation, validation, key order). Pasting a JSON document here escapes it as plain text rather than formatting it.

It says it cannot parse — why?

The input contains something JSON does not allow: an invalid escape such as a lone `\x`, an unescaped `"`, or a **literal newline**. A real newline has to become `\n` before it can be unescaped — and producing that `\n` is exactly what the escape direction is for.

JSON Escape

Escape quotes and control characters for embedding in JSON.

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About JSON Escape

Escapes or unescapes the quotes, backslashes and control characters inside JSON strings.

1
Two directions: text into the escaped form used inside a JSON string literal (quotes become `\"`, backslashes double, newlines become `\n`, tabs become `\t`) and back again.
2
Neither input nor output includes the surrounding quotes: you paste what goes **inside** the string and get the same shape back, ready for a JSON value or for turning a log line into readable text.
3
The unescape direction follows the JSON rules strictly and reports invalid escapes rather than guessing (fixed 2026-09-20: it used to reject the most common input, `say \"hi\"`, while silently accepting the invalid `a "b" c`).

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