What is a .json file?
A .json file is a JSON document. Its registered MIME type is application/json, which places it in the application or document family of formats.
JSON stands for JavaScript Object Notation.
Technically it is a specialised form of application/json5 (the .json5 format), so tools that understand that format can often read at least part of it.
JSON is a text-based format: the contents are readable characters, so any text editor can open it, and it compresses well.
The same format is also saved with the extension .map.
JSON file format details
| Extension | .json |
|---|---|
| Format | JSON document |
| MIME type | application/json, application/schema+json |
| Category | Application or document |
| Text or binary | Text |
| Based on | application/json5 |
| File signature | None fixed |
| Registered with IANA | Yes |
| Other extensions | .map |
How to open JSON files
| Windows | JSON files are plain text, so Notepad opens them: right-click the file, choose Open with, then Notepad. Notepad++ and VS Code are free and show long files more comfortably. |
|---|---|
| Mac | TextEdit opens plain text files. For code or data files, a free editor such as BBEdit or VS Code keeps the formatting intact. |
| iPhone and iPad | Save the file to the Files app and tap it; iOS previews most plain text. Or drop it on the viewer above, which shows the text right in the browser. |
| Android | Most file manager apps open plain text files in a built-in viewer. The viewer above also works in Chrome. |
Can you convert a .json file?
TapToConvert does not convert JSON files. The usual route is to open the file in the program that made it and use its Export or Save as option.
JSON file FAQ
What is a .json file?
A .json file is a JSON document, with the MIME type application/json.
How do I open a .json file?
With any text editor, such as Notepad on Windows or TextEdit on a Mac, or with the viewer on this page.
Is a .json file safe to open?
JSON files hold data rather than programs, but any file from an unknown source can be crafted to exploit the software that opens it. Keep that software up to date. The viewer on this page only reads the bytes and never runs anything.
What is the MIME type of .json?
application/json, and it is also seen as application/schema+json. Web servers send this type so browsers know how to handle the file.
Is JSON a text or binary format?
Text. Its contents are readable characters.
File type facts come from the IANA media type registry, the mime-db project and the freedesktop.org shared MIME database.