JSON Validator
Validate your JSON syntax instantly and pinpoint errors with line and column numbers.
About JSON Validator
JSON Validator is a free online tool that checks whether a block of text is syntactically valid JSON according to RFC 8259. Paste your JSON data and click Validate to get an immediate pass or fail verdict. When the JSON is invalid, the tool reports the exact line and column number where parsing broke, so you can jump straight to the problem instead of scanning hundreds of lines manually.
Use this tool when a REST API call returns an unexpected 400, when a config file fails to load, or when you suspect a copy-paste error introduced a trailing comma or an unquoted key. JSON Validator focuses solely on correctness — it tells you whether the structure parses cleanly. If you already know the JSON is valid and just want it pretty-printed, the companion JSON Formatter tool handles indentation and sorting. If you need to shrink output for production, JSON Minifier handles that. This tool answers the single question: is it valid JSON at all?
All validation runs entirely in your browser using the native JSON.parse API. Your data is never uploaded, logged, or sent to any server, so API responses containing authentication tokens, database records, or other sensitive fields stay private on your own machine. There are no file-size limits, no rate limits, no accounts required, and no cost.
Key Features
Line and column error location
When JSON is invalid, the tool pinpoints the exact line and column of the first syntax error, eliminating the need to scan large documents by eye.
Validate and format in one step
Click Format to both check syntax and auto-indent valid JSON with 2-space indentation, producing a readable version ready to copy.
100% client-side via JSON.parse
Validation uses the browser's native JSON.parse function. Nothing leaves your machine, making the tool safe for API keys, tokens, and confidential payloads.
Catches the full range of JSON syntax errors
Missing commas between key-value pairs, trailing commas in arrays and objects, single-quoted strings, unquoted keys, and invalid literal values like undefined are all detected.
File upload support
Upload a .json or .txt file directly from disk when pasting a large document is inconvenient. The file is read locally and never transmitted.
Sample fixtures for quick testing
Load a pre-built valid or invalid JSON sample with one click to verify the tool is working or to see what a specific error message looks like.
How to Use
Paste Your JSON
Copy your JSON data and paste it into the editor, or upload a .json file.
Validate
Click "Validate" to check syntax. Errors are shown with line and column numbers.
Fix & Format
Fix any errors, then click "Format" to auto-indent your valid JSON for readability.
Example
A missing comma after the "email" field causes a SyntaxError. The validator reports the exact line and column so you can fix it immediately.
{
"name": "Jane Smith",
"age": 28,
"email": "jane@example.com"
"isActive": true
} Invalid JSON — Line 5, Column 3
Unexpected string in JSON at position 58
Fix: add a comma after the "email" line:
"email": "jane@example.com", Common Use Cases
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Debugging API responses and request bodies
When a REST or GraphQL call returns a 400 or the client SDK throws a parse error, paste the raw response or request body here to confirm whether the payload is valid JSON before looking for application-level bugs.
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Validating configuration files before deployment
package.json, tsconfig.json, .eslintrc.json, and similar config files must be syntactically valid before any build tool reads them. Run a quick check here after editing them manually to catch stray commas or missing braces before they break a CI pipeline.
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Checking generated or serialised output
Code that builds JSON by string concatenation or templating is prone to producing malformed output. Paste a sample here to confirm the serialisation is correct, especially after adding new fields or changing data types.
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Verifying pasted or imported data
JSON copied from a browser console, a log file, or a third-party export often picks up stray characters. Validate it here to confirm it is clean before feeding it into a script or another tool.
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Learning which syntax rules JSON enforces
Unlike JavaScript object literals, JSON requires double-quoted keys, forbids trailing commas, and rejects undefined and NaN. Use the invalid sample fixture to see exactly how these rules are enforced and what error messages look like.