What JSONPath syntax is supported?

The standard subset most users actually type: $ (root), $.foo (child), $.foo.bar (chained), $.foo[0] (index), $.foo[*] (array wildcard), $.* (object wildcard), $..key (recursive descent), and $.foo[?(@.bar > 30)] (filter expressions on array items).

What is recursive descent ($..key) good for?

Finding every occurrence of a property name no matter where it lives in the tree. Example: $..id returns every id field across users, posts, comments — useful for collecting all unique IDs in a complex API response.

How do filter expressions work?

Wrap a predicate in [?(...)]. Inside, use @ to refer to the current array item and access its fields with dot notation. Comparators: == != >=. Operands can be field refs (@.age), numbers, strings ('admin'), or true/false/null. Combine with && (AND), || (OR), ! (NOT), and () for grouping. Example: $.users[?(@.age > 30 && @.active == true)].

Can I combine multiple conditions in one filter?

Yes. Use && (AND) and || (OR) to combine predicates, ! to negate, and parentheses for grouping. Example: $.users[?(@.age > 30 && (@.role == 'admin' || @.tier > 2))]. Operator precedence is the JS standard: ! > && > ||. Parens override.

Why use JSONPath over jq?

JSONPath is browser-native and zero-install — paste, type, get answers in seconds. jq is more powerful but needs a CLI install and has a steeper learning curve. JSONPath excels at quick exploration and one-off queries.

Is the JSONPath spec stable?

There's RFC 9535 (the official JSONPath spec finalized in 2024) plus various pre-spec dialects. PDFFlare's tester implements the most-common navigation subset that all dialects agree on, plus recursive descent.

Is my JSON sent to a server?

No. JSONPath evaluation runs entirely in your browser — your data never leaves your device. Safe for production payloads.

What happens if a path doesn't match anything?

The result pane shows an empty array and the match count is 0. No errors — JSONPath is forgiving by design, so a missing key just means zero matches rather than an exception.

JSONPath Tester — Query JSON Online Free

Test JSONPath expressions against any JSON in your browser. Supports $, $.foo, $.foo[0], $..key, wildcards. Instant results, no signup.

Test JSONPath expressions against any JSON document right in your browser. Useful when you're exploring an API response, debugging a config, or quickly extracting a specific value from a large payload.

Want to validate the shape first? JSON Formatter parses and pretty-prints. Need types from the matched values? JSON to TypeScript generates interfaces from any JSON sample.

JSONPath expression

Examples:

JSON

Matches

JSON:0 lines · 0 B

How to Test JSONPath Expressions

Paste your JSON
Paste the JSON document you want to query into the left editor.
Type a JSONPath expression
Type an expression like $.users[0].name in the JSONPath input. Use $ to start, dots for children, brackets for indices, $..key for recursive descent.
Click Run (or press Enter)
Matching values appear in the right pane. The match-count banner shows how many matches were found.

When Do You Need JSONPath?

Exploring an unfamiliar API: You hit an endpoint and get back a 5-page JSON response. Use JSONPath to drill straight to the field you need without reading the whole tree.

Writing assertions: JSONPath is the standard way to express “the third user's email” or “every product price” — useful when writing API tests, contract tests, or assertions in tools like Postman.

k8s / config queries: kubectl supports JSONPath via `-o jsonpath=...`. Test your expression here first to make sure it returns what you expect before piping it into kubectl.

Quick data extraction: Pull every email address out of a user dump with $..email, or every nested ID with $..id — one expression, one click, all results.

Why Use PDFFlare for JSONPath?

Live Match Count

Every Run shows exactly how many matches your expression produced — instant feedback on whether your path is right.

One-Click Examples

Common expression patterns are right there as buttons — tap one to populate the input and see what each does.

100% Browser-Based

Production payloads stay on your device — no uploads, no analytics on JSON contents.

No Signup Required

Open, paste, type, run. No account, no rate limits.

Frequently Asked Questions About JSONPath

JSON Formatter

Format, validate, repair JSON

JSON to TypeScript

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JSON to CSV

Convert JSON ↔ CSV both ways

JSON to YAML

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JSON Diff

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JSON Generator

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