The best online JSON editor depends on your specific needs and workflow:

Top Online JSON Editors Comparison

Selection Criteria

Editing JSON files online is simple and doesn't require any software installation:

Step-by-Step Process

1. Choose an online editor: Go to JsonViewer.tools or similar
2. Load your JSON: Paste content, upload file, or drag & drop
3. Edit in your preferred view: Tree view for structure, text view for code
4. Validate as you go: Real-time error checking
5. Save your changes: Copy result or download file

Editing Methods

Online Editing Tips

Browsers offer several ways to edit JSON, from simple developer tools to advanced extensions:

Method 1: Browser Developer Tools

// Parse JSON
let data = JSON.parse('{"name": "John", "age": 30}');

// Edit data
data.name = "Jane";
data.city = "New York";

// Convert back to JSON
let editedJSON = JSON.stringify(data, null, 2);
console.log(editedJSON);

Method 2: Online JSON Editors

Method 3: Browser Extensions

Method 4: Browser-Based IDEs

Browser Editing Comparison

Yes, Notepad++ is an excellent choice for editing JSON files, especially with the right plugins:

Setting up Notepad++ for JSON

JSON Viewer Plugin Features

Notepad++ JSON Editing Workflow

1. Open JSON file: File → Open or drag & drop
2. Set language: Language → JSON (if not auto-detected)
3. Format if needed: Plugins → JSON Viewer → Format JSON
4. Edit content: Use syntax highlighting and validation
5. Verify structure: Use tree view to check hierarchy
6. Save file: Ctrl+S to save changes

Advantages of Notepad++ for JSON

Alternative Notepad++ Plugins

• XML Tools: Basic JSON formatting (limited features)
• Pretty JSON: Alternative JSON formatter
• Compare Plugin: Compare JSON files side-by-side

VS Code provides excellent built-in JSON support with additional extensions for enhanced functionality:

Built-in JSON Features

Essential VS Code Shortcuts for JSON

Recommended JSON Extensions

VS Code JSON Settings

Customize JSON editing in settings.json:

{
  "[json]": {
    "editor.defaultFormatter": "esbenp.prettier-vscode",
    "editor.tabSize": 2,
    "editor.insertSpaces": true,
    "editor.formatOnSave": true,
    "editor.formatOnPaste": true
  },
  "json.schemas": [],
  "json.format.enable": true,
  "json.validate.enable": true
}

The best approach depends on your use case, technical level, and frequency of JSON editing:

Editing Approach by Use Case

Editor Comparison Matrix

Best Practices for JSON Editing

Large JSON files require special handling due to performance and memory constraints:

Size Categories and Approaches

Tools for Large JSON Files

# View specific parts
jq '.users[0:10]' large-file.json

# Filter and transform
jq '.[] | select(.age > 25)' large-file.json

# Stream processing
jq --stream '. as [$path, $leaf] | select($path[0] == "users")' large-file.json

Strategies for Large JSON Editing

// Python example for large JSON editing
import json

def edit_large_json(filename):
    with open(filename, 'r') as f:
        for line in f:
            if '"target_field"' in line:
                # Edit specific lines
                modified_line = line.replace('old_value', 'new_value')
                yield modified_line
            else:
                yield line

Schema validation ensures your JSON edits conform to a predefined structure:

What is JSON Schema Validation?

JSON Schema defines the structure, data types, and constraints for JSON data:

{
  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "name": {
      "type": "string",
      "minLength": 1,
      "maxLength": 100
    },
    "age": {
      "type": "integer",
      "minimum": 0,
      "maximum": 150
    },
    "email": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "email"
    },
    "hobbies": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {
        "type": "string"
      },
      "maxItems": 10
    }
  },
  "required": ["name", "email"]
}

{
  "name": "John Doe",
  "age": 30,
  "email": "john@example.com",
  "hobbies": ["reading", "coding"]
}

Tools with Schema Validation

{
  "json.schemas": [
    {
      "fileMatch": ["user-*.json"],
      "url": "./schemas/user-schema.json"
    }
  ]
}

Schema-Driven Editing Benefits

Common Schema Patterns

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "server": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "host": {"type": "string"},
        "port": {"type": "integer", "minimum": 1, "maximum": 65535}
      },
      "required": ["host", "port"]
    }
  }
}

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "data": {"type": "array"},
    "meta": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "total": {"type": "integer"},
        "page": {"type": "integer"}
      }
    },
    "errors": {
      "type": "array",
      "items": {"type": "string"}
    }
  }
}