Format Detective

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Detection Result
Paste data on the left to detect its format...

What This Tool Does

Format Detective is built for deterministic developer and agent workflows.

Detect unknown data formats and convert between JSON, YAML, XML, CSV, TOML, and text with browser + API workflows.

Use How to Use for execution steps and FAQ for constraints, policies, and edge cases.

Last updated:

This tool is provided as-is for convenience. Output should be verified before use in any production or critical context.

Agent Invocation

Best Path For Builders

Dedicated API endpoint

Deterministic outputs, machine-safe contracts, and production-ready examples.

Dedicated API

https://aidevhub.io/api/format-detective/detect/

OpenAPI: https://aidevhub.io/api/openapi.yaml

GET /api/format-detective/detect/ Detect the format of input data
GET /api/format-detective/convert/ Convert data between formats

Unified Runtime API

https://aidevhub.io/api/tools/run/?toolId=format-detective&a=...

GET and POST are supported at /api/tools/run/ with identical validation and limits.

Limit: req / s, input max 128 KB.

REST API

Base URL

https://aidevhub.io/api/format-detective/

50 requests/day per IP. No authentication required. CORS enabled. OpenAPI spec

Endpoints

GET /api/format-detective/detect/ Detect the format of input data
GET /api/format-detective/convert/ Convert data between formats

Example

curl "https://aidevhub.io/api/format-detective/detect/?input=%7B%22name%22%3A%22test%22%7D"

Example Response

{
  "detected": "json",
  "confidence": 1
}

How to Use Format Detective

  1. 1

    Paste or type your data

    Enter data into the input area or click a sample button (JSON, YAML, XML, CSV, TOML) to load example content. Detection runs automatically as you type.

  2. 2

    Review detected formats

    Check the detection bar for ranked format matches with confidence percentages. The highest-confidence format is highlighted. Multiple formats may match if the data is valid in more than one grammar.

  3. 3

    Convert to another format

    Select a target format from the dropdown and click Convert. The converted output appears in the right panel, ready to copy or download.

  4. 4

    Copy or download the result

    Use the copy button to copy converted output to your clipboard, or the download button to save it as a file with the correct extension.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Format Detective?
Format Detective is a free online tool that instantly detects data formats (JSON, YAML, XML, CSV, TOML, INI, Markdown Table) with confidence scoring and converts between them.
How does format detection work?
The detector parses your input against each format's grammar rules and assigns a confidence score (0–100%). Multiple formats may match — for example, valid JSON is also valid YAML — so results are ranked by confidence.
Which format conversions are supported?
You can convert between JSON, YAML, XML, CSV, TOML, and INI. Conversion uses JSON as an intermediate representation, so the source must be parseable to a JSON-compatible structure.
Is my data sent to a server?
No. All detection and conversion runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded. You can also use the free REST API at aidevhub.io/api/format-detective/ for server-side detection and conversion.
Can I use this programmatically?
Yes. The Format Detective REST API at aidevhub.io/api/format-detective/ offers /detect/ and /convert/ endpoints — 50 requests per day, no API key required, CORS enabled.