JSON to TOON Converter
Shrink structured data for LLM prompts, compare token usage, and copy TOON instantly.
What is TOON Format?
TOON (Table-Oriented Object Notation) is a compact data format designed specifically for LLM/AI prompts.
Unlike verbose JSON with quotes/brackets/braces (30-60% of characters), TOON uses:
id|name|country|plan
1|Alice|IN|pro
2|Bob|US|free
3|Carol|UK|business
vs JSON (3x longer):
[{"id":1,"name":"Alice","country":"IN","plan":"pro"},{"id":2,"name":"Bob","country":"US","plan":"free"}]
Why Save LLM Tokens?
1 token ≈ 4 characters ≈ $0.0001-0.01 (depending on model)
| Model | Input Cost/Token | 10K Tokens = |
|---|---|---|
| GPT-4o | $2.50/1M | $0.025 |
| Claude 3.5 | $3.00/1M | $0.03 |
| Llama 3.1 | $0.50/1M | $0.005 |
Real example: 10K JSON → 4K TOON = $0.015 saved per request × 1000 users/month = $15/month
How JSON → TOON Works (Our Algorithm)
Smart table detection + minimal syntax:
1. Detect arrays of objects → Create header row
2. Extract ALL keys across rows → Consistent columns
3. Escape only delimiter chars → No quotes for simple values
4. Nested objects → `key:{nested JSON}` or `key:[]` for arrays
5. Optional indent (0-6 spaces) → Readable when needed
Input JSON:
{
"users": [
{"id":1,"name":"Alice","active":true},
{"id":2,"name":"Bob","active":false}
]
}
TOON Output:
users[]:
id|name|active
1|Alice|true
2|Bob|false
3-Click Workflow
- Paste JSON → Auto-validates syntax
- Choose delimiter (
|,\t) + indent (0-6 spaces) - Convert → See live token savings + copy TOON
Pro tip: Use pipe | delimiter (handles spaces/commas best)
Use Cases (Perfect For)
- AI Agent Developers - Shrink database exports 50%+
- ChatGPT/Claude Users - Context window optimization
- API Payloads - Log storage costs down 60%
- Data Analysts - Export CSVs without schema loss
- Prompt Engineers - Multi-table JSON → compact tables
Before (JSON): 1,247 chars - 312 tokens
After (TOON): 489 chars - 122 tokens
Saved: 190 tokens (61%) - Works in any LLM!
Live Stats You Get
| Metric | Shows |
|---|---|
| Bytes | JSON vs TOON (file size) |
| Tokens | ~4 chars = 1 token estimate |
| Savings | Absolute + % reduction |
| Real-time | Updates as you type |
Token math: (JSON chars - TOON chars) ÷ 4 = tokens saved
Compared to JSON Minify
| Format | Size | LLM Friendly? | Readable? | Schema? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JSON (pretty) | 100% | ❌ Verbose | ✅ | ✅ |
| JSON (min) | 65% | ❌ Still quotes | ❌ | ✅ |
| TOON | 35% | ✅ Perfect | ✅ | ✅ |
Example: 100 Users Database
JSON (12KB → 3K tokens):
[{"id":1,"email":"user1@ex.com","plan":"pro","score":85},{"id":2,...}]
TOON (4.2KB → 1K tokens):
id|email|plan|score
1|user1@ex.com|pro|85
2|user2@ex.com|free|92
Monthly savings: $10-50+ (1000 API calls)
Perfect For Your Stack
ChatGPT + Claude + Gemini + Llama
× Next.js APIs × Supabase × Firebase
× Zapier × Make.com × n8n
Copy-paste ready for system/user messages.
Bonus Features
- Offline - No server calls
- Example data - 1-click load
- JSON formatter - Pretty print input
- Mobile-first - Touch-friendly
- Dark mode ready - Matches your theme
Try it now ↑ - Paste any JSON and watch tokens disappear!