How to Open a JSON File

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data interchange format. You can open JSON files in multiple ways - here are the most common methods.

Methods to Open JSON Files

Using Text Editors

JSON files are essentially plain text files, so they can be opened with any text editor:

Windows: Notepad, Notepad++
Mac: TextEdit, BBEdit
Linux: gedit, nano, vim

Right-click on JSON file → Select "Open with" → Choose your text editor

Using Code Editors

Code editors provide syntax highlighting and formatting features that make JSON more readable:

Visual Studio Code (recommended)
Sublime Text
Atom

In VS Code, press Ctrl+Shift+P → Type "Format Document"

Using Web Browsers

Modern browsers can directly open and display JSON files:

Chrome
Firefox
Edge

Drag and drop JSON file into browser window, or use Ctrl+O to open file

Using Online JSON Viewers

Online tools provide real-time formatting and validation:

JSONLint
JSON Formatter & Validator
Our JSON tools

Use Our JSON Viewer

JSON File Structure

Understanding the basic structure of JSON files can help you better read and edit these files.

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "age": 30,
  "isEmployed": true,
  "address": {
    "street": "123 Main St",
    "city": "New York",
    "zipCode": "10001"
  },
  "phoneNumbers": [
    {
      "type": "home",
      "number": "212-555-1234"
    },
    {
      "type": "work",
      "number": "646-555-5678"
    }
  ]
}

Basic Elements of JSON:

Objects: Represented by curly braces , containing key-value pairs
Arrays: Represented by square brackets [], containing ordered list of values
Values: Can be strings, numbers, booleans, null, objects, or arrays
Strings: Text enclosed in double quotes ""
Numbers: Integers or floating-point numbers
Booleans: true or false

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I open .JSON files?

You can open .JSON files with any text editor such as Notepad, Visual Studio Code, etc. Right-click on the file, select "Open with," and then choose your preferred text editor.

Why is my JSON file displayed as a single line?

Some JSON files are "minified," with all content on a single line to save space. You can use a formatting tool (like our JSON Pretty tool) to make it more readable.

How can I check if my JSON file is valid?

You can use online JSON validation tools like JSONLint or our JSON validator, which will check if your JSON file has correct syntax.

What's the difference between JSON files and XML files?

JSON is more lightweight, readable, and parses faster than XML. JSON uses a more concise syntax without closing tags and supports arrays.