The share link contains your schema — share it only where you'd share the schema itself.
About the OpenAPI & Swagger validator
OpenAPI is the standard for describing HTTP APIs — endpoints, request and response shapes, parameters, and reusable components. Swagger 2.0 is its earlier name and format; OpenAPI 3.0 and 3.1 are the current revisions, with 3.1 aligning closely with JSON Schema 2020-12. This tool validates all three: it detects the version from the openapi or swagger field and checks your document against the official OpenAPI/Swagger meta-schema for that version.
You can paste your specification as either YAML or JSON — both are accepted, since the two are interchangeable for OpenAPI. Validation confirms the structural rules: that required objects like info and paths are present, that operations and parameters have the right shape, and that values use the expected types. Errors are reported against the location in the document where they occur.
It's worth being precise about what is not checked. The validator does not dereference $ref pointers, does not fetch external files, and does not run cross-reference semantic checks — resolving and linting references is a Phase-2 candidate. It also never calls your API. Nothing is sent over the network; the entire check runs in your browser.
OpenAPI validation FAQ
Does it validate Swagger 2.0?
Yes. Swagger 2.0 — the predecessor to OpenAPI 3, donated to the OpenAPI Initiative and renamed in 2016 — is supported alongside OpenAPI 3.0 and 3.1. The validator detects the version from the top of your document: a swagger: "2.0" field selects the Swagger 2.0 meta-schema, while an openapi: "3.0.x" or "3.1.x" field selects the matching OpenAPI 3 schema. Each is checked against its own official JSON Schema, so version-specific rules are applied correctly — for example, 2.0 uses a single top-level definitions object and host plus basePath, whereas 3.x uses components and a servers array. You do not need to convert an older Swagger 2.0 document to OpenAPI 3 just to validate it here; paste it as-is. If both fields are missing the document cannot be classified, and the validator reports that rather than guessing a version.
Can I paste YAML or JSON?
Both. OpenAPI documents are commonly written in YAML but are equally valid as JSON. Paste either; the validator parses the input and then checks the resulting document against the OpenAPI meta-schema.
Does it resolve $refs?
No. The validator checks your document's structure against the OpenAPI schema. It does not dereference $ref pointers or fetch external files — nothing is requested over the network, and everything stays in your browser.
Does it check that my endpoints and servers are reachable?
No. It validates the document — the structure, required objects and types of your specification. It does not call your API or test whether servers and paths respond.
Should I use OpenAPI or GraphQL?
OpenAPI describes a REST/HTTP API; GraphQL SDL defines a single typed graph queried from one endpoint. For a full comparison of when to choose each, see the guide OpenAPI vs GraphQL at /guides/openapi-vs-graphql/.