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DevUtil

JSON Tree Viewer - Visualise JSON Structure Online

About the JSON Tree Viewer

Reading deeply nested JSON in a text editor means mentally matching braces and brackets across dozens of lines. The JSON Tree Viewer turns raw JSON into an interactive, hierarchical tree that you can expand, collapse, and search. Objects become folders, arrays become numbered lists, and primitive values are displayed inline with colour-coded type indicators.

This is especially useful when you encounter an unfamiliar API response or a complex configuration file and need to understand its shape quickly. Instead of mentally matching opening and closing braces, you can click through the tree one level at a time.

How to Use the JSON Tree Viewer

Paste your JSON into the input panel. The tree renders automatically in the output area. Click any object or array node to expand or collapse its children. Use the toolbar buttons to expand all nodes at once or collapse the tree back to the root level. If you are looking for a specific key or value, type your query into the search bar to filter the tree and highlight matches.

Features

  • Collapsible nodes. Expand only the parts of the tree you care about, keeping the rest tucked away.
  • Type-aware colour coding. Strings, numbers, booleans, and null values each have a distinct colour for instant recognition.
  • Expand / collapse all. One-click access to the full tree or just the top level.
  • Key and value search. Filter the tree by keyword to find the data you need without scrolling.
  • Path display. See the full JSONPath to any node, making it easy to reference in code.

Use Cases for JSON Tree Viewing

The tree viewer shines during API debugging. When a response contains dozens of nested objects, a visual tree lets you locate the field you need in seconds. It is equally valuable for reviewing infrastructure-as-code configurations (like AWS CloudFormation or Terraform state files), analysing NoSQL database documents, and teaching colleagues about a data schema. Any time you need to understand the shape of a JSON document quickly, the tree view beats scrolling through raw text.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a JSON tree viewer?
A JSON tree viewer renders JSON data as a hierarchical, collapsible tree structure instead of raw text. Each object and array becomes an expandable node, making it easy to drill into deeply nested data without losing your place.
Can I expand and collapse individual nodes?
Yes. Click any node to expand or collapse it. You can also use the expand-all and collapse-all buttons to open or close every node at once, which is helpful when exploring unfamiliar data structures.
How does the tree viewer handle large JSON files?
The tree viewer uses efficient rendering techniques to handle large documents. Nodes are rendered on demand as you expand them, so even JSON files with thousands of keys remain responsive.
Can I search within the tree?
Yes. Use the search field to filter the tree by key name or value. Matching nodes are highlighted and their parent nodes are automatically expanded so you can see the results in context.
What types of values are displayed?
The tree viewer shows all JSON types: objects, arrays, strings, numbers, booleans, and null. Each type is colour-coded so you can quickly identify the kind of data at any node.