Your First JSON Object

A JSON object is a collection of key-value pairs wrapped in curly braces {}. Think of it like a dictionary or a filled-in form — each field has a name (the key) and a value. Keys are always strings in double quotes. Values can be any of the six JSON data types.

{
  "name": "Alice",
  "age": 30,
  "email": "[email protected]",
  "active": true
}

Every JSON object follows the same structure:

• Key — a string in double quotes, e.g. "name"
• Colon — separates key from value: :
• Value — any valid JSON value
• Comma — separates pairs from each other (no comma after the last pair)

{
  "key": "value",
  "anotherKey": 42
}

A value in a JSON object can be:

• A string: "hello"
• A number: 42 or 3.14
• A boolean: true or false
• Null: null
• Another object: {"city": "Paris"}
• An array: [1, 2, 3]

Here is an object that uses all six types at once:

{
  "username": "alice123",
  "score": 9850,
  "verified": true,
  "nickname": null,
  "profile": {
    "city": "London"
  },
  "badges": ["gold", "silver"]
}

Start small. Pick a thing you want to describe — a person, a product, a config setting — and list its properties:

1. Open with {
2. Write each property as "key": value
3. Separate properties with commas
4. Do not put a comma after the last property
5. Close with }

{
  "product": "Widget",
  "price": 9.99,
  "inStock": true,
  "tags": ["sale", "new"]
}

• Using single quotes: {'name': 'Alice'} is invalid — always use double quotes
• Adding a trailing comma: {"a": 1,} will cause a parse error
• Forgetting quotes around keys: {name: "Alice"} is JavaScript syntax, not JSON

See JSON Syntax Rules for the full list of rules.

Paste your JSON object into the JSON Formatter to check indentation and structure at a glance. Once you have built something more complex, explore The Six JSON Data Types to understand exactly what values you can use.

{"name": "Your Name", "favoriteColor": "blue", "luckyNumber": 7}