JQ Playground

Query and transform JSON data with jq syntax in real-time. Test jq filters, map arrays, select objects, and debug complex JSON queries — all in your browser with no installation required. Includes built-in examples and a complete jq operations reference.
JQ Expression
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JSON Input
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Result

Enter JSON and a jq expression to see results

Supported jq Operations

Data Access

  • .field- Field access
  • .[n]- Array index
  • .[]- Iterate array/object
  • .[n:m]- Array slice
  • .a.b- Nested field access

Array Operations

  • map()- Transform each item
  • select()- Filter by condition
  • sort / sort_by()- Sort array
  • first / last- Get first/last item
  • flatten- Flatten nested arrays

Aggregation

  • length- Get length
  • add- Sum/concatenate
  • min / max- Find min/max
  • unique- Remove duplicates
  • group_by()- Group by field

Object & Type

  • keys / values- Get keys/values
  • type- Get data type
  • to_entries- Object to entries
  • has() / contains()- Check existence
  • del()- Delete field

How to Use the JQ Playground

  1. 1

    Paste or load your JSON data

    Paste raw JSON into the input panel or click Load Example to start with sample data. You can also drag and drop a .json file directly into the editor. The playground accepts any valid JSON structure including objects, arrays, and nested data.
  2. 2

    Write a jq expression

    Type your jq filter in the expression field at the top. Start with simple accessors like .name or .users[] and build up to complex pipelines such as .items | map(select(.price > 10)) | sort_by(.name). Use the built-in cheat sheet for syntax reference.
  3. 3

    Review the output

    Results appear instantly in the output panel as you type. The playground highlights syntax errors and shows formatted JSON output. If your expression returns multiple values, each result is displayed on its own line for easy inspection.
  4. 4

    Copy or download the result

    Click Copy to place the output on your clipboard, or use Download JSON to save the transformed data as a file. Your query history is preserved so you can revisit and refine previous expressions without retyping them.

Common Use Cases

1

Filtering API Responses

Extract specific fields from large REST or GraphQL API responses. Use select() and map() to pull only the data you need, such as user emails, product prices, or error messages buried in deeply nested JSON payloads.
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Transforming Log Files

Parse JSON-formatted server logs to isolate timestamps, error codes, and request paths. Chain jq filters to group errors by status code, count occurrences, or flatten nested log entries into a flat CSV-friendly structure.
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Preparing Data for Visualization

Reshape raw JSON datasets into the exact format your charting library or spreadsheet expects. Use group_by, unique, and object construction to aggregate values, rename keys, and restructure arrays before exporting.
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Learning and Prototyping jq Queries

Experiment with jq syntax before embedding expressions in shell scripts, CI pipelines, or backend code. The instant feedback loop and built-in examples make this playground ideal for beginners and experienced developers alike.

Why use our JQ Playground?

Test and debug jq expressions in real-time without installing anything. Paste your JSON, write a filter, and see results instantly. Our playground supports field access, array operations, map, select, sort_by, group_by, and more — with built-in examples and a cheat sheet to help you learn jq syntax faster. All processing runs locally in your browser, so your data stays private.

The JQ Playground is a free browser-based environment for writing, testing, and debugging jq expressions against live JSON data. jq is a lightweight command-line JSON processor often called "sed for JSON" — it lets you slice, filter, map, and transform structured data with a concise, pipe-oriented syntax. This playground brings that power to your browser so you can iterate on queries without installing anything or leaving your workflow.

Whether you are extracting fields from a REST API response, reshaping a dataset for a JSON to Chart visualization, or converting nested objects into a flat structure for a JSON to CSV export, the playground gives you instant visual feedback as you type. Built-in examples cover common patterns like array filtering, object construction, grouping, and aggregation so you can learn by doing. The integrated cheat sheet provides a quick reference for every supported operation.

All processing runs entirely in your browser — no data is uploaded to any server. This makes the playground safe for sensitive payloads such as internal API responses, configuration files, or user data. Pair it with the JSON Formatter for pretty-printing, the JSON Path Finder for locating deeply nested values, or the JSON Visualizer to see your data as an interactive tree before querying it.

How It Compares

Unlike JSONPath, which focuses solely on selecting nodes from a JSON document, jq is a full transformation language. It supports pipes, conditionals, reduce, string interpolation, and user-defined functions — making it far more powerful for data processing tasks. JSONPath is the better choice when you only need to read values; jq excels when you need to reshape, aggregate, or construct entirely new JSON structures from existing data.

Compared to writing custom scripts in Python or JavaScript, jq expressions are dramatically shorter. A transformation that takes 15-20 lines of code in a scripting language can often be written as a single jq one-liner. The tradeoff is a steeper learning curve for advanced features like recursive descent and reduce, but for everyday API data wrangling, jq is hard to beat.

Tips for Writing Better jq Filters

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Start with the identity filter (.) to inspect the full input structure before writing complex queries.
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Use the pipe operator (|) to build queries incrementally — add one operation at a time and verify the output at each step.
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Wrap select() inside map() when filtering arrays: .items | map(select(.active == true)) returns an array rather than individual elements.
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Construct new objects with {key: .field} syntax to reshape data and pick only the fields you need from each record.
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Combine sort_by, group_by, and unique to aggregate data without writing loops — jq handles iteration implicitly.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What is jq and what is it used for?

jq is a lightweight command-line JSON processor, often described as "sed for JSON." It's used to parse, filter, map, and transform JSON data. Developers use jq for processing API responses, filtering log files, transforming data structures, and extracting specific values from complex nested JSON. Our online JQ Playground lets you test jq expressions without installing anything.
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How do I filter JSON arrays with jq?

Use the select() function to filter array elements. For example, .users | select(.age > 25) returns users older than 25. You can combine multiple conditions: .items | select(.price > 10 and .active == true). Use map(select(...)) when you need the output as an array.
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Is this jq playground free to use?

Yes, this JQ Playground is completely free with no usage limits. All processing happens in your browser — your JSON data is never sent to any server. There's no account required, no ads, and no restrictions on the size of JSON you can process.
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How do I pipe multiple jq operations together?

Use the pipe character (|) to chain operations sequentially. For example: .users | select(.active) | map(.name) first gets the users array, then filters to active users only, then extracts just the name field from each. Each pipe passes its output as input to the next operation.
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What is the difference between jq and JSONPath?

JSONPath is a query language for selecting nodes from JSON (similar to XPath for XML). jq is a full programming language that can select, transform, aggregate, and construct new JSON structures. jq supports pipes, functions, conditionals, variables, and reduce operations — making it much more powerful for data processing than JSONPath's selection-only approach.

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