Add your PB file
Drop one or more .pb files onto the converter above, or browse for them. They load into browser memory only — nothing is uploaded, so there is no size-based pricing and no server queue.
PB to JSON
Converting a .pb font to .json repackages the same glyphs and metrics for a different delivery target. Free, private, and validated — the file never leaves your browser.
Private for supported formats — processed in your browser
Runs on your deviceConvert supported files
Drop PB files here
Batch files can each use a different output. Nothing uploads for local conversions.
Working inputs include camera RAW, browser-local audio/video, PDF, CBZ/CBR comics, office documents, ebooks, markup, 3D models, structured text, images, and archives.About converting Protocol Buffers message to JSON data
Converting a .pb font to .json repackages the same glyphs and metrics for a different delivery target. A .pb file is a Protocol Buffers message encoded as compact field numbers, wire types and values. The bytes do not carry field names or a complete type description, so the matching .proto schema is required to turn them into meaningful JSON.
A .json file holds JavaScript Object Notation: nested objects, arrays, strings, numbers, booleans, and null written in a strict text syntax. It is the default data language of the web — most APIs speak nothing else. For this route the practical draw is parsers ship in the standard library of essentially every language and readable by humans and machines alike — balanced against no comments — a perpetual annoyance for configuration files, which is worth knowing before you commit a large batch.
Why convert PB to JSON?
The practical trigger for this conversion is usually a mismatch: with .pb, unreadable without the correct schema. Switching to .json buys you parsers ship in the standard library of essentially every language, which is why it is the better fit for rEST and HTTP API request and response payloads. Because the conversion runs locally, trying it costs nothing but a few seconds of compute on your own machine.
PB vs JSON at a glance
| Aspect | Protocol Buffers message (.pb) | JSON data (.json) |
|---|---|---|
| Format type | Lossless — every pixel or sample is preserved exactly | Text-based — characters and structure, so there is no visual quality loss |
| How it stores data | each field key combines a numeric field identifier with a wire type; strings and nested messages use length-delimited records | exactly six value types; no dates, no comments, no trailing commas — the strictness is deliberate |
| Strongest at | inspecting a captured protobuf message with its source schema | rEST and HTTP API request and response payloads |
| Weak spot | unreadable without the correct schema | no comments — a perpetual annoyance for configuration files |
Pick JSON as the output
Select .json in the output menu next to each file. The menu only offers targets this engine can genuinely produce, so if JSON is selectable, the route is real and validated.
Convert on your device
Press Convert. The font tables are parsed and rewritten locally with fonteditor-core; glyph outlines, hinting, and kerning survive the trip.
Verify and download
Each result is signature-checked before the download unlocks, so a failed encode can never masquerade as a valid JSON file. Outputs keep the original filename with the .json extension.
PB to JSON questions, answered
Will converting PB to JSON lose quality?
There is no visual quality to lose — pb is lossless-oriented and json is text-oriented, so the question is structural fidelity. Text, ordering, and basic structure are preserved; complex layout, embedded objects, and styling beyond the target's model are simplified.
Is it private to convert PB files here?
Yes — the .pb file is processed inside your browser tab and never uploaded. The font tables are parsed and rewritten locally with fonteditor-core; glyph outlines, hinting, and kerning survive the trip. Close the tab and the file is gone from memory.
Where will the JSON file work?
Browsers parse it natively through JSON.parse, every mainstream language bundles support, and most editors validate and highlight it out of the box. Viewing a raw .json file is possible in any text editor or browser tab.
Will the JSON file be bigger or smaller than my PB?
It depends on the content: exactly six value types; no dates, no comments, no trailing commas — the strictness is deliberate. Convert one representative file first and compare before batch-processing a large set.
What happens to the metadata in my PB file?
In .pb, declared field names and values are represented in JSON; unknown fields, comments and schema-only annotations are not embedded in the .pb payload and cannot be recovered. Re-encoding through the browser pipeline does not carry embedded metadata into the output, which doubles as a privacy scrub — check the exported file if you specifically need tags preserved.