# Getting started

JSONParse is a single page with a tree on the left of the status bar and no setup. This page covers everything the interface does not say out loud.

## Opening a document

- Drop a file anywhere on the window.
- Press `Ctrl` / `Cmd` + `O` to pick one.
- Paste JSON straight onto the page — no focused input required.
- Load the bundled sample to look around before committing a real file.

Accepted extensions are `.json`, `.jsonl`, `.ndjson`, `.geojson`, `.har`, `.map`, plus anything served as `application/json` or plain text.

## Keyboard shortcuts

| Shortcut | Action |
| --- | --- |
| `Ctrl` / `Cmd` + `O` | Open a file |
| `Ctrl` / `Cmd` + `F` | Focus search |
| `/` | Focus search, when not already typing |
| `Ctrl` / `Cmd` + `G`, or `F3` | Next match |
| `Shift` + `Ctrl` / `Cmd` + `G`, or `Shift` + `F3` | Previous match |
| `Ctrl` / `Cmd` + `E` | Toggle tree and raw view |
| `Ctrl` / `Cmd` + `Shift` + `T` | Open the generator panel |

## Tree view and raw view

The tree is the default and is virtualised, so it stays responsive on documents with millions of nodes. Raw view shows the original text, unmodified, which is what you want when you need to see exactly what came off the wire — including whitespace, key order and number formatting that a re-serialised view would quietly normalise.

## Settings

| Setting | What it controls |
| --- | --- |
| Theme | Dark, light, or follow the system setting. |
| Parse mode | `auto`, `json` or `ndjson`. Auto tries a strict parse first — see [JSONL](/jsonl-viewer). |
| Auto-expand depth | How many levels are expanded when a document opens. |
| Indent | Indent unit used by beautify and by generated output. |
| Keep documents | Whether opened documents are stored locally in IndexedDB for the library panel. |

## The library

When "keep documents" is on, opened files are stored in IndexedDB **on your machine** so you can reopen them without finding the file again. The store is per-browser and per-origin, it is never synced, and clearing it removes the documents. Turn the setting off if you would rather nothing persists — see [the privacy page](/docs/privacy).

[Open the viewer](https://jsonparse.online/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need an account?

No. There is no account, no sign-in and no server-side state for the viewer.

### Does it work on mobile?

The interface is usable on a tablet. On a phone it is cramped, and large files are limited by how much memory a mobile browser will grant a tab.

### Where are my settings stored?

In localStorage under a jsonparse namespace, on your device only.

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Source: https://jsonparse.online/docs/getting-started
Last updated: 2026-09-14
JSONParse — Read, search and type huge JSON in your browser