Converting JSON to TOON in 5 Simple Steps

Ready to start saving on your LLM API costs? Converting JSON to TOON is easier than you think. Follow these 5 simple steps to transform your data and start seeing immediate token reductions.

What You'll Learn

By the end of this guide, you'll be able to:

• Convert any JSON structure to TOON format
• Understand the transformation rules
• Avoid common conversion mistakes
• Validate your converted data
• Use conversion tools effectively

Before You Start

Prerequisites:

• Basic understanding of JSON
• A JSON file to convert
• 10 minutes of your time

Tools Needed:

• Text editor (VS Code, Sublime, or any editor)
• Optional: Online TOON converter for validation

Let's dive in!

Step 1: Remove Curly Braces

The first and most visible change is eliminating curly braces.

JSON Structure

{
  "name": "Alice",
  "age": 30
}

Action: Remove Braces

"name": "Alice",
"age": 30

Rule: Delete the opening { and closing } from your object.

Why: TOON uses indentation to show structure, making braces unnecessary.

For Nested Objects

JSON:

{
  "user": {
    "name": "Bob"
  }
}

Step 1 Result:

"user": {
  "name": "Bob"
}

We'll handle the nested braces in later steps.

Step 2: Remove Quotes from Keys

Keys in TOON don't need quotation marks.

Starting Point

"name": "Alice",
"age": 30

Action: Remove Key Quotes

name: "Alice",
age: 30

Rule: Remove quotes around keys, but keep quotes around string values (for now).

Multiple Keys Example

Before:

"firstName": "John",
"lastName": "Doe",
"email": "john@example.com"

After:

firstName: "John",
lastName: "Doe",
email: "john@example.com"

Pro Tip: If a key contains special characters or spaces, you may need to keep quotes, but this is rare.

Step 3: Clean Up Value Formatting

Now let's handle values and remove unnecessary punctuation.

Remove Commas Between Lines

name: "Alice",
age: 30

Becomes:

name: "Alice"
age: 30

Rule: Each key-value pair goes on its own line. Commas are no longer needed.

Simplify String Values

For simple strings without spaces or special characters:

Before:

name: "Alice"
status: "active"

After:

name: Alice
status: active

When to Keep Quotes:

• Strings with spaces: title: "Hello World"
• Strings with special characters: message: "Say \"Hi\""
• Numbers as strings: id: "12345" (if ID should remain a string)

Handle Other Data Types

Numbers (stay the same):

age: 30
price: 29.99

Booleans (stay the same):

isActive: true
isVerified: false

Null (stays the same):

middleName: null

Step 4: Convert Nested Structures

Nested objects use indentation instead of braces.

Simple Nesting

JSON:

{
  "user": {
    "name": "Bob",
    "age": 25
  }
}

TOON:

user:
  name: Bob
  age: 25

Rule:

1. Remove braces from nested objects
2. Add 2 spaces of indentation for nested content
3. Parent key ends with a colon

Deep Nesting (3 Levels)

JSON:

{
  "company": {
    "department": {
      "name": "Engineering",
      "size": 50
    }
  }
}

TOON:

company:
  department:
    name: Engineering
    size: 50

Each nesting level = 2 more spaces of indentation

Mixed Nesting

JSON:

{
  "user": {
    "name": "Alice",
    "contact": {
      "email": "alice@example.com",
      "phone": "555-0100"
    }
  },
  "status": "active"
}

TOON:

user:
  name: Alice
  contact:
    email: alice@example.com
    phone: 555-0100
status: active

Note: The status key is at the root level (no indentation) because it's not nested under user.

Step 5: Handle Arrays Properly

Arrays require special attention in TOON.

Simple Arrays

JSON:

{
  "colors": ["red", "green", "blue"]
}

TOON:

colors: [red, green, blue]

Rule: Simple arrays stay in bracket notation. Remove quotes if values are simple strings.

Arrays of Primitive Values

Numbers:

scores: [95, 87, 92, 88]

Mixed Types:

data: [42, true, null, "text"]

Arrays of Objects

This is where TOON really shines:

JSON:

{
  "users": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "Alice"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "name": "Bob"
    }
  ]
}

TOON:

users:
  - id: 1
    name: Alice
  - id: 2
    name: Bob

Rule:

1. Each array item starts with a dash (-)
2. Dash is at the indentation level of the array content
3. Object properties are indented 2 spaces from the dash

Complex Array Example

JSON:

{
  "teams": [
    {
      "name": "Engineering",
      "members": [
        {
          "name": "Alice",
          "role": "Lead"
        },
        {
          "name": "Bob",
          "role": "Developer"
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

TOON:

teams:
  - name: Engineering
    members:
      - name: Alice
        role: Lead
      - name: Bob
        role: Developer

Empty Arrays

JSON:

{
  "items": []
}

TOON:

items: []

Rule: Empty arrays remain as []

Complete Conversion Example

Let's put it all together with a realistic example.

Original JSON

{
  "id": 12345,
  "user": {
    "firstName": "John",
    "lastName": "Doe",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "age": 30,
    "isVerified": true
  },
  "preferences": {
    "theme": "dark",
    "notifications": {
      "email": true,
      "push": false
    }
  },
  "tags": ["developer", "javascript", "nodejs"],
  "projects": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "name": "Website Redesign",
      "status": "active"
    },
    {
      "id": 2,
      "name": "Mobile App",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}

Step-by-Step Transformation

After Step 1 (Remove braces at root):

"id": 12345,
"user": {
  "firstName": "John",
  ...
},
...

After Step 2 (Remove key quotes):

id: 12345,
user: {
  firstName: "John",
  ...
},
...

After Step 3 (Clean formatting):

id: 12345
user: {
  firstName: John
  lastName: Doe
  email: john@example.com
  age: 30
  isVerified: true
}
preferences: {
  theme: dark
  notifications: {
    email: true
    push: false
  }
}
tags: [developer, javascript, nodejs]
projects: [
  {
    id: 1
    name: Website Redesign
    status: active
  },
  {
    id: 2
    name: Mobile App
    status: completed
  }
]

After Step 4 (Convert nesting):

id: 12345
user:
  firstName: John
  lastName: Doe
  email: john@example.com
  age: 30
  isVerified: true
preferences:
  theme: dark
  notifications:
    email: true
    push: false
tags: [developer, javascript, nodejs]
projects: [
  {
    id: 1
    name: Website Redesign
    status: active
  },
  {
    id: 2
    name: Mobile App
    status: completed
  }
]

After Step 5 (Fix arrays - Final TOON):

id: 12345
user:
  firstName: John
  lastName: Doe
  email: john@example.com
  age: 30
  isVerified: true
preferences:
  theme: dark
  notifications:
    email: true
    push: false
tags: [developer, javascript, nodejs]
projects:
  - id: 1
    name: Website Redesign
    status: active
  - id: 2
    name: Mobile App
    status: completed

Token Count:

• JSON: ~245 tokens
• TOON: ~135 tokens
• Reduction: 45%

Common Mistakes and How to Fix Them

Mistake 1: Inconsistent Indentation

❌ Wrong:

user:
 name: John
   age: 30

✅ Correct:

user:
  name: John
  age: 30

Fix: Use exactly 2 spaces per indentation level consistently.

Mistake 2: Forgetting Colons

❌ Wrong:

user
  name: John

✅ Correct:

user:
  name: John

Fix: Parent keys always end with a colon.

Mistake 3: Wrong Array Syntax

❌ Wrong:

items:
  1, 2, 3

✅ Correct:

items: [1, 2, 3]

Fix: Simple arrays use bracket notation.

Mistake 4: Incorrect Dash Placement

❌ Wrong:

users:
- id: 1
  name: Alice

✅ Correct:

users:
  - id: 1
    name: Alice

Fix: Dash should be indented at the level of array content.

Mistake 5: Over-Quoting

❌ Wrong:

name: "John"
age: "30"
status: "active"

✅ Correct:

name: John
age: 30
status: active

Fix: Only quote strings that need it (with spaces/special characters).

Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

Basic Transformations

Nesting

Arrays

Validation Checklist

Before using your TOON file, verify:

• All braces removed
• Keys have no quotes
• Consistent indentation (2 spaces)
• Parent keys end with colons
• Arrays use correct syntax
• Values properly formatted
• No trailing commas
• Nested structures properly indented

Using Conversion Tools

For large files or production use, automated tools are recommended:

Benefits:

• ⚡ Instant conversion
• ✅ Error-free syntax
• 📊 Token count comparison
• 🔄 Batch processing

When to Use:

• Large JSON files (>100 lines)
• Production deployments
• Time-sensitive projects
• Team collaborations

Next Steps

Now that you know how to convert JSON to TOON:

1. Practice with your own JSON files
2. Measure your token savings
3. Test with your LLM applications
4. Deploy to production gradually
5. Monitor your cost reductions

Conclusion

Converting JSON to TOON is straightforward:

1. ✅ Remove curly braces
2. ✅ Remove quotes from keys
3. ✅ Clean up formatting
4. ✅ Use indentation for nesting
5. ✅ Handle arrays correctly

With practice, these conversions become second nature. Start small, validate your work, and scale up as you gain confidence.

Token savings of 30-60% await!

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