# YAML File Merger

Merge multiple YAML files with various strategies (deep merge, overwrite, combine arrays, etc.)

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/yaml-merger

- **Category:** Data Processing

- **Keywords:** yaml, merge, combine, config, files, data

## Overview

The YAML File Merger is a powerful utility designed to consolidate multiple YAML configuration files into a single, unified document using customizable merging strategies.

## Inputs

- **YAML Files** (file): Select YAML files to merge...
- **Merge Strategy** (select)
- **Array Handling** (select)
- **Conflict Resolution** (select)
- **Preserve Comments** (select)

## When to use

- When you need to combine fragmented environment-specific configuration files into a master config.
- When managing complex infrastructure-as-code setups that require merging multiple service definitions.
- When you need to aggregate data from several YAML sources while maintaining specific key-value integrity.

## How it works

- Upload your YAML files using the file selector.
- Select your preferred merge strategy, such as deep merge for nested objects or shallow merge for top-level keys.
- Configure how arrays and conflicts should be handled to ensure the output matches your requirements.
- Download the merged YAML file once the processing is complete.

## Use cases

- Consolidating microservice configurations into a single deployment manifest.
- Merging base application settings with environment-specific overrides (e.g., dev, staging, prod).
- Combining multiple documentation or metadata YAML files into a single source of truth.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I merge more than two files at once?

Yes, you can upload and merge up to 5 YAML files simultaneously.

### What is the difference between deep and shallow merge?

Deep merge recursively combines nested objects, while shallow merge only updates top-level keys.

### How does the 'Merge Unique' array strategy work?

It combines arrays from multiple files and removes any duplicate entries to ensure a clean list.

### What happens if there is a key conflict?

You can choose to overwrite the existing value, keep the first value encountered, or stop the process with an error.

### Are my files stored on your server?

No, files are processed in memory and are not stored permanently on our servers.

## Related tools

- [JSON File Merger](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/json-merger): Merge multiple JSON files with various merging strategies (deep merge, overwrite, combine arrays, etc.)
- [Markdown Merger](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/markdown-merger): Merge multiple markdown files with smart header level adjustment and table of contents generation
- [TXT File Merger](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/txt-merger): Merge multiple text files with various strategies (concatenate, interleave, etc.)
- [Text File Replacer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/text-file-replacer): Find and replace text in files with support for regex, multiple patterns, and backup creation
- [Text File Searcher](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/text-file-searcher): Search for text patterns in files with advanced options (regex, case-sensitive, whole word, etc.)
- [CSV File Merger](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/csv-merger): Merge multiple CSV files into a single file with options for header handling and deduplication
- [XML File Merger](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/xml-merger): Merge multiple XML files into a single file with options for handling root elements and namespaces
- [TOML-YAML Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/toml-yaml-converter): Convert between TOML and YAML formats with support for complex data structures and configuration files

## Samples

- [YAML Viewer Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/yaml-viewer-samples): Sample YAML files (app config, docker-compose, k8s) for the in-browser YAML Viewer
- [Distributed Tracing Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/distributed-tracing-samples): Comprehensive distributed tracing examples using Jaeger, OpenTelemetry, and other modern observability tools for microservices architecture
- [CircleCI Configuration Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/circleci-config): CircleCI configuration examples including workflows, orbs, caching, and advanced deployment strategies
- [YAML Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/yaml-samples): YAML (YAML Ain't Markup Language) format examples from simple to complex structures

## Related content

- [Environment and Configuration Format Workflow](https://elysiatools.com/en/hubs/config-workflows): Inspect, validate, convert, merge, and diff configuration without exposing secrets or losing the source of truth.