Use jq to Format JSON in gVim on Windows (Prettify & Minify)

jq is a powerful command-line tool for processing and formatting JSON data.

While there's no official Windows version available anymore, you can still use jq on Windows with an unofficial executable.

Step 1: Download the jq Executable

Visit the following GitHub release page and download the 64-bit version (jq-win64.exe):

• https://github.com/jqlang/jq/releases/tag/jq-1.6

Rename from jq-win64.exe to jq.exe and move it to your Vim folder like "C:\Program Files\Vim\vim91"

Step 2: Add to System Path

1. Open: Control Panel → System → Advanced system settings → Environment Variables
2. Under “System Variables”, find and select Path, then click “Edit”.
3. Add the following path: C:\Program Files\Vim\vim91

Step 3: Test jq in Terminal

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

PS C:\Users\jason> jq --version

You should see:

jq-1.6

Step 4: Use jq Inside Vim/GVim

In Vim/GVim, format the current file using:

:%!jq .

This sends the whole file through jq and replaces it with formatted JSON.

Optional: Format External JSON Files

You can also format any JSON file directly from the command line:

PS C:\Users\jason\Downloads> jq . data.json

This will pretty-print your JSON in the Command Prompt.