PHP Serializer

Convert between JSON and PHP serialized data

PHP’s serialize format stores data as a string, and debugging it means converting to something readable. This tool converts JSON to PHP serialized strings and back, so you can inspect or produce serialized PHP data using familiar JSON.

Why this conversion helps

PHP serialized strings are compact but hard to read, with length prefixes and type markers that obscure the actual data. Converting a serialized string to JSON reveals the structure clearly; converting JSON the other way produces valid serialized data without hand-writing the fiddly format. This is invaluable when debugging serialized data stored in a database or session, or when you need to construct a serialized value for testing. The conversion handles the nesting and types that make the format awkward by hand.

Readable PHP data

It runs entirely in your browser, so nothing you paste is uploaded and the result is yours to copy straight into a project. Because it works client-side, you can use it on private code and data without anything leaving your machine.

Related tools

• JSON Formatter — Format and beautify JSON in your browser. Pinpoints syntax errors by line and column, flags unsafe integers, and never uploads your data to a server.
• JSON Validator — Validate JSON syntax with precise line and column errors, and check documents against a JSON Schema. Runs locally in your browser, nothing uploaded.
• Regex Tester — Test regular expressions against sample text with live match highlighting, capture groups and flag control. Runs entirely in your browser.
• HTML Minifier — Minify HTML by removing comments and redundant whitespace, without breaking inline elements or pre blocks. Runs entirely in your browser.