The Indent Text Tool is a free online utility that automatically adds whitespace (spaces or tabs) or custom characters to the beginning of every line in your text. It's perfect for formatting code (Python, YAML, JSON), creating nested lists, markdown blockquotes, or structuring data. You can choose between spaces, tabs, or any custom string like '>' or '-'.

Select 'Spaces' as your indent type and set the depth to 4 (Python standard). Paste your code, and the tool will add 4 spaces to the beginning of every line. This is crucial for Python's whitespace-sensitive syntax.

Spaces add a fixed number of space characters (e.g., 2 or 4), making formatting consistent across all text editors. Tabs insert a tab character (\t) which may display as 2, 4, or 8 spaces depending on editor settings. For code, spaces are more predictable. For configuration files like Makefile, tabs are required.

Yes! Switch to 'Custom' mode and enter your desired prefix: Use '- ' (dash-space) for bullet lists, '> ' for blockquotes, or '* ' for markdown lists. The tool will add your custom character to the start of every line, instantly converting plain text into formatted markdown.

YAML and JSON require precise indentation for nested structures. If you copy a code block that needs to be nested deeper, this tool adds the necessary spaces (typically 2 or 4) to every line at once, maintaining proper nesting hierarchy without manually editing each line.

Yes! Most indent tools include file upload functionality. Upload your .txt, .py, .js, .json, .yml, or any text file, apply indentation settings, and download the formatted result. Much faster than manually editing large files in a text editor.

For nested structures, indent your text once at the first level, then select and indent deeper sections again for the second level. Alternatively, use the 'depth' setting to specify how many spaces/tabs to add (1 depth = 1 space/tab, 4 depth = 4 spaces, etc.).

Yes, 100% free and runs entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. No data is uploaded to servers, ensuring complete privacy for your code, documents, or sensitive text.

Most indent tools offer an option to skip empty lines or indent them as well. Skipping empty lines preserves paragraph breaks, while indenting empty lines maintains consistent indentation structure throughout the entire document.

Code editors require selecting all lines and using keyboard shortcuts (which vary by editor). This online tool works instantly for any text, regardless of where it came from (emails, PDFs, websites). It's also useful for non-code text like creating formatted lists or quotes for documentation, without opening a full IDE.