How to Open JSON File in Excel, Notepad, Firefox or Chrome

Here you will learn what is JSON file, what is it used for, its uses and how to easily open it using Microsoft Excel, Notepad, Firefox and Chrome.

What is JSON File?

JSON file extension store simple data structures objects in JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) file format. JSON is a standard data interchange format.

JSON files are similar to XML files and are lightweight, consist of text, and can be read by humans.

JSON File Extension

JSON was initially based on JavaScript but now it is considered language-independent because of its support for many Application Program Interfaces.

Related File Extensions:

Applications of JSON Files

JSON files are used for many purposes but its main purpose was to transmit data between a server and a web application. JSON files are also used to carry notifications from the web application to the server.

JSON files are used by many web-based JavaScript applications to store information, like node.js etc.

Applications may not necessarily save JSON files on the hard drive because the data may be modified in internet connected computers. An example of applications that let users save JSON files is Google+, which saves user profile data in JSON files.

Methods to Open JSON Files

There are various methods and multiple applications to open and view the .json file format.

Applications that can open JSON Files:

  • Notepad++
  • Microsoft Excel
  • Microsoft Word
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Google Chrome

Method # 01: Open JSON Files with Microsoft Excel

  1. Open the Excel Worksheet you want to insert the JSON files into and select the Data tab at the top.
  2. Navigate to Get Data > From File > From JSON.
  3. Locate the JSON file and open it. Make the required changes in the Power Query editor and then click Load into Table > Close and Load to load the contents of the JSON file into the worksheet.

Method # 02: Opening JSON Files with Notepad++

  1. Download and install Notepad++.
  2. Open Notepad++, click the Plugins button at the top and select Plugins Admin.
  3. In the Plugins Admin window, search JSON Viewer and install the JSON Viewer plugin.
  4. When prompted, click Yes. Notepad++ will exit and then restart after the plugin has finished installing.
  5. Now, navigate to File > Open or press the CTRL + O buttons and select the JSON file you want to open.
  6. Once the file is opened, go to Plugins > JSON Viewer and select Format JSON. Then again go to Plugins > JSON Viewer and select Show JSON Viewer.
  7. You can now view and edit the contents of the JSON file.

Method # 03: Open JSON File with Firefox

Import JSON File with Firefox

Firefox uses JSON file to store bookmarks. These JSON files can be imported to Firefox to restore previous bookmarks.

  1. Open Firefox and press the CTRL + Shift + B buttons to open the Library window.
  2. In the Library window, select Import/Export, and select Restore > Choose File. Then, Select the JSON file you want to import.
  3. You can also save your bookmarks as a JSON file the same way by selecting import bookmarks.

Opening JSON Files with Firefox

Firefox has an in-built JSON viewer that can open JSON files by simply dragging and dropping the JSON file in the Firefox window. Make sure that the file is saved as JSON, otherwise Firefox will not be able to open it.

Method # 04: Opening JSON Files with Chrome

You need to install the JSONView web extension from Chrome Web Store to open JSON files with Chrome.

Once you have installed the extension, whenever you open a JSON file with Chrome, the JSON document will be formatted, the arrays and tags can be collapsed and if there are any errors in the document, JSONView will display the raw text.

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