INI to YAML Converter

Convert INI config files to YAML.

INI Input

or drop a file here

YAML Output

name: ZeroServer
debug: true
server:
  host: localhost
  port: 3000
database:
  url: postgres://localhost/db
  pool: 10

From INI to YAML

INI files store settings as key = value pairs grouped under [section] headers, while YAML is a more expressive, whitespace-sensitive format widely used for modern configuration (Docker Compose, Kubernetes, GitHub Actions). This tool first parses your INI into a structured object — turning each section into a nested map and coercing values to numbers, booleans, or null where appropriate — then serializes that object as YAML with 2-space indentation. Comment lines starting with ; or # are ignored. Everything runs locally in your browser — nothing is uploaded.

Built and maintained by Meet Shah · Last updated 28 July 2026

What this tool is used for

Migrating a legacy INI config into a YAML-based tool or pipeline.
Turning flat sections into a nested structure that is easier to read.
Producing a YAML fixture from an existing configuration file.
Comparing two INI files by converting both to YAML and diffing the structure.
Modernising configuration during a platform change.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why convert INI to YAML rather than JSON?: Because YAML keeps comments as a first-class concept, and configuration files are usually full of them. A JSON conversion discards every comment silently; YAML lets the explanatory text survive the migration.
Are comments actually preserved?: Only by round-trip parsers that track them, such as ruamel.yaml. Most converters build a plain data structure and re-emit it, which drops comments — so verify rather than assume if the comments matter.
What new hazards does YAML introduce?: Type coercion of exactly the kind INI values invite. An INI value of NO becomes boolean false under YAML 1.1 (the Norway problem), 1.10 becomes the float 1.1, and a value starting with a zero may be read as octal.
How do sections map?: Each [section] becomes a top-level mapping key with its entries nested beneath. Dotted section names like [a.b] are ambiguous — they can be one key containing a dot, or two levels of nesting, and converters differ.
Will indentation cause problems?: It can, because YAML's structure is whitespace-defined and INI's is not. Values containing newlines must become block scalars, and tabs — legal in an INI value — are forbidden entirely in YAML indentation.
Should INI values be type-guessed during conversion?: Cautiously. Converting `1.10` to a number turns a version string into 1.1, and `no` into a boolean changes a country code. Leaving everything as strings is lossless; guessing is convenient and occasionally wrong in ways that are hard to see.

Common errors and gotchas

Losing the string-only nature of INI values, so YAML infers a number or a boolean where a string was meant.
Dropping comments, which the INI file may use as its only documentation.
Assuming one INI dialect for comments, duplicate keys and nesting conventions.
Producing a value YAML reinterprets, such as `yes`, `off` or a version like `1.10`.
Treating a dotted key as nesting when the original meant it literally.