---
title: "JQ Playground (jq subset)"
description: "Query JSON with a jq subset in your browser. Supports field access, pipes, map, select, and sort. Does not run reduce, try, or foreach."
url: https://findutils.com/developers/jq-playground/
category: developers
---

# JQ Playground (jq subset)

Query JSON with a jq subset in your browser. Supports field access, pipes, map, select, and sort. Does not run reduce, try, or foreach.

**Use this tool:** [JQ Playground (jq subset)](https://findutils.com/developers/jq-playground/)

## Programmatic access

- REST id `jq-playground`: POST https://api.findutils.com/api/tools/jq-playground/execute (reference: https://findutils.com/api/jq-playground/)
- MCP tool `jq_playground` on https://mcp.findutils.com (reference: https://findutils.com/mcp/jq-playground/)

## Why use our JQ Playground?

Test common jq-subset filters in real time without installing anything. Paste your JSON, write a filter, and see results instantly. This playground supports field access, array operations, map, select, sort_by, and group_by. It does not run reduce, try, or foreach. Built-in examples and a cheat sheet cover the supported subset. All processing runs locally in your browser.

## Tips for Writing Better jq Filters

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

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is jq and what is it used for?

jq is a lightweight command-line JSON processor, often described as "sed for JSON." This playground runs a jq subset in your browser so you can test common filters without installing the jq CLI. It is not a full jq implementation.

### How do I filter JSON arrays with jq?

Use select() inside map() to keep the elements that match: .users | map(select(.age > 25)) returns an array of the users older than 25. .users[] | select(.age > 25) does the same element by element. Combine conditions with and, or and not: .items | map(select(.price > 10 and .active == true)). Comparisons are ==, !=, >, >=, < and <=.

### Does this jq playground require a signup?

No. This JQ Playground is available with no usage limits. All processing happens in your browser — your JSON data is never sent to any server. There's no account required, and no restrictions on the size of JSON you can process.

### How do I pipe multiple jq operations together?

Use the pipe character (|) to chain operations. For example, .users | map(select(.active)) | map(.name) first gets the users array, then keeps the active users, then extracts the name of each. Each pipe passes its output as the input of the next operation.

### What is the difference between jq and JSONPath?

JSONPath selects nodes from JSON. Full jq can also transform, aggregate, and construct new JSON. This playground is a jq subset: it runs pipes, map, and select, but it does not run reduce, try, or foreach. Use the jq CLI for those.

### Does this support the full jq specification?

No. This page runs a jq subset. Supported operations include field access, array indexing and slicing, pipes, map, select, sort_by, group_by, unique, flatten, keys, values, and object construction. It does not run reduce, try, foreach, recursive descent (..), or custom functions. Use the jq command-line tool for those.

### Can I use jq without installing it?

You can try a jq subset here without installing anything. Paste JSON, write a supported filter, and see results in the browser. For full jq, including reduce, try, and foreach, install the jq CLI.

### How do I select specific fields from JSON objects?

Use object construction syntax: .users | map({name, email}) keeps only the name and email fields. To rename fields, use map({full_name: .name, mail: .email}). For a single object, use {name: .name, age: .age}.

### How do I group and aggregate data with jq?

Use group_by(.field) to group array elements that share a value, then map over the groups to aggregate each one. For example, .orders | group_by(.status) groups orders by status. To count each group, add | map({status: .[0].status, count: length}). To sum a field per group, use map(map(.amount) | add).

### How does jq compare to writing JavaScript for JSON processing?

A jq pipeline is usually shorter than the equivalent JavaScript. .users | map(select(.active)) | sort_by(.name) | map(.email) replaces a filter(), a sort() and a map() call. jq is concise and pipe-oriented; JavaScript has a broader ecosystem and is easier to debug for complex logic.

## Related Tools

- [JSON Formatter](https://findutils.com/developers/json-formatter/)
- [JSON Path Finder](https://findutils.com/developers/json-path-finder/)
- [JSON Visualizer](https://findutils.com/developers/json-visualizer/)
- [JSON Diff](https://findutils.com/developers/json-diff/)
- [JSON to CSV](https://findutils.com/convert/json-to-csv/)
- [JSON to Chart](https://findutils.com/generate/json-to-chart/)
- [JSON Faker](https://findutils.com/developers/json-faker/)
- [JSON Schema Validator](https://findutils.com/developers/json-schema-validator/)