Top 10 Common JSON Errors and How to Fix Them

jsonerrorsdebugging

JSON errors can be frustrating, especially when error messages aren't clear. Here are the 10 most common JSON errors and how to fix them.

1. Trailing Commas

// ❌ Wrong

{"name": "Alice",}

// ✅ Correct

{"name": "Alice"}

2. Single Quotes Instead of Double Quotes

// ❌ Wrong

{'name': 'Alice'}

// ✅ Correct

{"name": "Alice"}

3. Unquoted Keys

// ❌ Wrong

{name: "Alice"}

// ✅ Correct

{"name": "Alice"}

4. Comments in JSON

// ❌ Wrong — JSON doesn't support comments

{"name": "Alice" /* user name */}

// ✅ Use JSONC or remove comments

5. Undefined Values

JSON only supports null, not undefined. Omit the key or use null.

6. Hexadecimal Numbers

// ❌ Wrong

{"color": 0xFFFFFF}

// ✅ Correct

{"color": "#FFFFFF"}

7. Missing Commas Between Elements

8. Extra Commas (two commas in a row)

9. Unclosed Brackets or Braces

10. Invalid Escape Sequences

Use our JSON Validator to catch these errors with precise line and column numbers.

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