Machine-Readable File Formats: JSON vs XML vs YAML

Introduction

When healthcare organizations must publish price transparency data, they face an important decision: which file format should they use? The regulations allow JSON, XML, or YAML—but which is best for your needs?

This guide explains each format in plain language, compares their strengths and weaknesses, and helps you choose the right format for your organization.

What Are Machine-Readable Formats?

Machine-readable formats are ways of storing data that computers can easily read and process. Unlike PDFs or Word documents (which are designed for humans), these formats are structured so software can automatically extract and analyze the data.

The Three Allowed Formats

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)

What it is: A text-based format that uses simple syntax to represent data structures.

Characteristics:

• Uses curly braces {} and square brackets []
• Data is organized in key-value pairs
• Very popular in web development