How to Convert JSON to CSV

Quick answer: CSV is a flat table of rows and columns, so JSON converts cleanly only when it's an array of objects with consistent keys — each object becomes a row and each key becomes a column. Paste that JSON into the JSON Converter and switch the output to CSV. Deeply nested objects must be flattened first, because CSV has no concept of nesting.

CSV is two-dimensional: rows and columns, nothing more. The JSON shape that maps onto it directly is an array of flat objects that share the same keys:

[
  { "id": 1, "name": "Dana",  "role": "admin"  },
  { "id": 2, "name": "Ravi",  "role": "editor" },
  { "id": 3, "name": "Mei",   "role": "viewer" }
]

That becomes:

id,name,role
1,Dana,admin
2,Ravi,editor
3,Mei,viewer

Each object is a row; the union of keys forms the header. This is the ideal case, and the JSON Converter handles it in one click.

CSV has no way to represent nesting, so a value that is itself an object or array can't sit in a single cell meaningfully:

[
  { "id": 1, "name": "Dana", "address": { "city": "Austin", "zip": "73301" } }
]

You have two options:

1. Flatten the keys — turn address.city and address.zip into their own columns:

   JSON

   id,name,address.city,address.zip
   1,Dana,Austin,73301

2. Serialize the nested value into a single cell as a JSON string — workable but awkward to read in a spreadsheet.

Flattening into dotted columns is almost always the better choice for spreadsheet use. Decide on the structure before converting.

1. Make sure the top level is an array of objects. If your data is wrapped (e.g. { "users": [ ... ] }), extract the inner array first — the Minimal Mode path filter can isolate it.
2. Format and validate with the JSON Formatter so you can confirm the keys are consistent across objects.
3. Convert in the JSON Converter and select CSV output.
4. Check the header row — missing keys in some objects produce empty cells, which is expected; mismatched keys across objects produce sparse columns.

• Inconsistent keys. If object 1 has role and object 2 doesn't, that column is blank for object 2. Normalize first if you need a dense table.
• Commas and quotes in values. Proper CSV escapes these by wrapping the field in quotes — the converter handles it, but hand-rolled exports often don't.
• Arrays of scalars. A field like "roles": ["admin","editor"] has no clean single-cell form; flatten or join it deliberately.
• Numbers and leading zeros. Spreadsheets may reformat values like ZIP codes. That's a spreadsheet behavior, not a conversion bug.

For converting to other formats, the same JSON Converter also outputs YAML and XML. To understand the trade-offs between these formats, see JSON vs XML vs CSV.

How do I convert JSON to CSV? Make the top level an array of objects with consistent keys, then paste it into the JSON Converter and choose CSV. Each object becomes a row and each key a column.

Can I convert nested JSON to CSV? Not directly — CSV is flat. Flatten nested objects into dotted columns (address.city) first, since a single CSV cell can't hold a sub-object.

Why is my CSV missing columns? CSV columns come from object keys. If some objects omit a key, that column is empty for those rows. Normalize the objects to share the same keys for a dense table.

Does the conversion upload my data? No. The JSON Converter runs entirely in your browser; nothing is sent to a server.