.JSON File Extension

JavaScript Object Notation File

Developer Douglas Crockford
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What is a JSON file?

A JSON file is a file that stores simple data structures and objects in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format, which is a standard data interchange format. It is primarily used for transmitting data between a web application and a server. JSON files are lightweight, text-based, human-readable, and can be edited using a text editor.

More Information

Screenshot of a .json file in GitHub Atom
JSON file open in GitHub Atom

The JSON format was originally based on a subset of JavaScript but is considered a language-independent format, being supported by many different programming APIs. JSON is commonly used in Ajax Web application programming. It is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to XML.

While many applications use JSON for data interchange, they may not actually save .json files on the hard drive since the data interchange occurs between Internet-connected computers. However, some applications do enable users to save .json files. One example is Google+, which uses JSON files for saving Profile data. After logging in, you can choose the "Data liberation" page and select "Download your Profile data."

Mozilla Firefox saves bookmark backups using JSON files. The files are saved to the Firefox user profile directory within a folder called bookmarkbackups. You can also make manual backups of Firefox bookmarks and import them into a different copy of Firefox. To import, open the bookmark Library, click the import/export button in the top bar, choose Restore → Choose File..., and then select your JSON backup file.

How to open a JSON file

Because JSON files are plain text files, you can open them in any text editor, including:

You can also open a JSON file in the Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox web browsers by dragging and dropping the file into your browser window.

Programs that open JSON files

Verified by FileInfo.com

The FileInfo.com team has independently researched the JavaScript Object Notation file format and Mac, Windows, Linux, Android, and iOS apps listed on this page. Our goal is 100% accuracy and we only publish information about file types that we have verified.

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