How to use the Python Formatter
Format your Python code in three simple steps:
1
Paste or upload your Python code
Paste Python code directly into the input panel, upload a .py file using the upload button, or paste from clipboard. Any indentation style is accepted.
2
Choose your indent size
Select 2 or 4 spaces using the Indent toggle in the toolbar. PEP 8 recommends 4 spaces, but many projects use 2 — choose what matches your project style.
3
Format, then copy or download
Click 'Format Python' to apply PEP 8-style indentation and syntax highlighting. Copy the output to clipboard or download it as a .py file.
When to use this tool
Use the Python formatter whenever your code needs clean, consistent indentation:
- →Fixing Python code copied from PDFs, Stack Overflow, or documentation that lost its indentation
- →Reformatting a script before committing to a team repository that enforces PEP 8 style
- →Cleaning up auto-generated Python from AI tools that uses inconsistent indentation widths
- →Quickly checking how a snippet of Python will look with 4-space vs 2-space indentation
- →Tidying notebooks exported to .py files where indentation may have collapsed
- →Preparing Python code samples for blog posts, tutorials, or documentation with consistent style
Frequently asked questions
Q:Does this Python formatter follow PEP 8?
The formatter applies PEP 8's core indentation rules: consistent block indentation using your chosen indent size, blank line handling between top-level definitions, and proper alignment of continuation blocks. It focuses on structural indentation rather than line-length limits or import ordering, which require full AST parsing only possible in native Python tools like Black or autopep8.
Q:Can it fix code that has completely lost its indentation?
Yes — the formatter re-indents code based on block-opening tokens (def, class, if, for, while, with, try) and block-closing keywords (else, elif, except, finally, return). Code copied from sources that strip indentation (PDFs, some websites) is reformatted to a clean block structure.
Q:Does it work with decorators, lambda functions, and nested classes?
Yes — decorators (@property, @staticmethod, @app.route) are detected and kept at the correct indentation level. Lambda expressions are treated as part of their surrounding line. Nested classes and functions inside other functions are indented relative to their parent scope.
Q:Will it modify my logic or alter my code?
No — the formatter only changes whitespace and indentation. String content, variable names, operators, comments, and all logic are preserved exactly as you wrote them. It is a pure beautifier, not a transpiler or linter.
Q:Can I use this for Python 2 code as well as Python 3?
Yes — the formatter works on the textual structure of Python code and is version-agnostic. Both Python 2 and Python 3 syntax is processed identically since indentation rules are the same across versions.
Q:Is my Python code sent to a server when I format it?
No — the formatter runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your code never leaves your device and is never transmitted to any server. It is safe to format proprietary code, API keys in config scripts, and any sensitive business logic.