How to Open a JSON File
- Drop the file on this page. Drag a
.json,.jsonl, or.ndjsonfile from your desktop, File Explorer, or Finder anywhere onto the page, or click Choose a file. You can also paste JSON you copied from an API, a log, or an email. - Read it as a tree. Objects and lists fold into branches. Each closed branch shows how many items it holds and a preview of what's inside, so you can see the shape of the data before opening anything.
- Find what you're looking for. Search keys and values and step through the matches. Click a row to see its path, like
data.orders[0].customer.email, then copy the path or the value. - Keep going. Switch to Formatted to read or copy the full text, or open the data in the Excel converter to get a spreadsheet.
If the file isn't valid JSON, you'll see the line and column where it breaks. The JSON formatter and validator covers fixing and reformatting it.
Viewing JSON on Windows, Mac, and Phones
- Windows. Open this page in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox and drag the file in from File Explorer. Windows has no built-in JSON viewer; Notepad shows the raw text, but a long file arrives as one unreadable line.
- Mac. Open this page in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox and drag the file in from Finder. TextEdit and Quick Look show the raw text only.
- iPhone and Android. Tap Choose a file and pick it from Files, Downloads, or a cloud drive. Phones open files up to 50 MB.
- Linux and Chromebook. Any modern browser works the same way.
Online Viewer or a Downloaded App?
Desktop JSON viewers and code editors such as VS Code are worth it if you edit JSON every day. For reading a file someone sent you, checking an API response, or looking through an export, a browser viewer is quicker: there's nothing to install or update, it works on a locked-down work computer, and it's the same on every device.
The usual worry with online tools is privacy. This viewer reads the file in your own browser and never sends it anywhere, so it's as private as an app on your computer. Read more about what a JSON viewer does.
Want that JSON as a spreadsheet?
The free converter flattens nested JSON into clean columns or rows, then downloads Excel or CSV, or copies it into Google Sheets.
JSON Viewer Questions
Do I need to download a JSON viewer app?
No. This viewer runs in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Linux, iPhone, or Android, with nothing to install. Drop a .json file onto the page or paste JSON and it opens as a tree.
What program opens a JSON file?
A JSON file is plain text, so any text editor such as Notepad, TextEdit, or VS Code can open it. To actually read it, a JSON viewer is easier: it lays the data out as a tree you can open branch by branch and search.
How do I open a JSON file on Windows?
Open this page in Edge, Chrome, or Firefox and drag the .json file from File Explorer onto it, or click Choose a file. It opens as a tree. To edit the text, right-click the file and choose Open with, then Notepad.
How do I open a JSON file on a Mac?
Open this page in Safari, Chrome, or Firefox and drag the file from Finder onto it, or click Choose a file. To see the raw text, Control-click the file and choose Open With, then TextEdit.
Can I open a JSON file on my iPhone or Android phone?
Yes. Open this page in your phone's browser, tap Choose a file, and pick the file from Files, Downloads, or a cloud drive. Files up to 50 MB open on phones.
Is my JSON file uploaded anywhere?
No. The file is read and displayed by your own browser. Nothing you open or paste here is sent to a server, so it's safe for API keys, customer data, and other private exports.
How large a JSON file can I view?
Files up to 200 MB on a computer (50 MB on phones). Long lists open 200 items at a time so large arrays stay fast, and search still finds values anywhere in the file.
Can I view JSON Lines (NDJSON) files?
Yes. A .jsonl or .ndjson file with one record per line opens as a single list you can browse and search. More on the format: what is NDJSON.