JSON: From String¶
Parses a JSON-formatted string and returns the corresponding data structure. Supports objects, arrays, numbers, booleans, strings, and null. If the input is empty or invalid JSON, the node returns None.
Usage¶
Use this node when you have JSON text (for example, from a file, API response, or a text field) and need to convert it into a data structure for downstream processing. Commonly paired with nodes like JSON: Get Value, JSON: Set Value, or JSON: Merge to manipulate the parsed data.
Inputs¶
| Field | Required | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| json_string | True | STRING | A valid JSON string to parse. Supports multi-line input. Must be standard JSON (double-quoted strings, no comments, no trailing commas). | {"user": {"id": 123, "name": "Ada"}, "active": true, "tags": ["alpha", "beta"]} |
Outputs¶
| Field | Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| data | WILDCARD | The parsed data structure from the JSON string. Can be an object (dict), array (list), string, number, boolean, or None if parsing fails or the input is empty/whitespace. | {'user': {'id': 123, 'name': 'Ada'}, 'active': True, 'tags': ['alpha', 'beta']} |
Important Notes¶
- Returns None on invalid or empty input: If the string is not valid JSON or is empty/whitespace, the output will be None.
- Standard JSON only: Requires proper JSON formatting (double quotes for strings, no comments, no trailing commas).
- Output type varies: The WILDCARD output may be a dict, list, string, number, boolean, or None depending on the input.
- Non-throwing behavior: Errors are handled internally; the node logs errors and returns None instead of raising exceptions.
Troubleshooting¶
- Output is None: Validate the input string with the JSON: Validate node, and check for common JSON issues (trailing commas, single quotes, comments).
- Unexpected output type: Confirm your JSON root type (object vs array vs scalar). Downstream nodes must handle the actual type returned.
- Parsing works locally but fails here: Ensure the input uses UTF-8 encoding and standard JSON (no BOM, no special comment syntax).
- Downstream node errors: If subsequent nodes fail, first check whether this node returned None due to invalid JSON.