Convert JSON to PDF

How it works

Tap or click the box to choose your JSON file; .json and .jsonl files are accepted. The tool reads the file and looks at its shape: an array of objects that share the same fields — an order list, the contact records an app exported — is laid out as a table whose column headings come from the field names. Nested objects become indented "name: value" lines, each level 18 points further in, so you can still see which field belongs to which record on paper. Concrete example: an orders.json with 120 records and 5 fields becomes a single table on Letter portrait pages, about 4 pages long; with 9 fields the tool would turn the page landscape on its own. Numbers keep the exact spelling they have in the JSON: 1234567 may be an ID, and the tool never adds thousands separators to it. true/false are written as yes/no and null as (empty); in the "Raw text" layout everything appears exactly as in the file, as indented code in a grey box. The file is processed inside your browser and is never uploaded.

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What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the plain-text format programs use to hand data to each other: values are written as "name": "value" pairs inside curly braces and lists inside square brackets. The "download my data" button of an app, the reply of a bank or shop API and a game's save file usually arrive with a .json extension. The file opens in Notepad, but reading it between hundreds of brackets is hard; this tool turns that structure into tables and indented lines and produces a PDF anyone can open.

What is JSON Lines (.jsonl)?

JSON Lines is a text file in which every line is a complete, valid JSON object on its own; the extension is .jsonl or .ndjson. Log files, message exports and large data sets come this way because the file can be written line by line and a single broken line does not make the rest unreadable. When this tool cannot read a file as one JSON document it tries line by line; if every line is valid, the lines are treated as one list of records and, when they share the same fields, laid out as a table.

What is Record list (array of objects)?

A record list is a JSON array of objects that all carry the same kind of fields, such as [{"name": "Ann", "amount": 120}, {"name": "Tom", "amount": 80}]. It is the equivalent of rows in a spreadsheet: each object is a row and each field name a column. Wherever this tool meets such an array it builds a table, takes the columns from the union of all field names and leaves an empty cell where a record lacks a field. If a field's value is itself an object or a list, the array no longer counts as a table and is written as an indented list instead.

What is the difference between JSON and PDF?

JSON is a data format: written for programs, it has no appearance and no notion of pages, and when opened it shows plain text full of brackets; in return it can be edited and imported elsewhere, while a single typo makes the whole file unreadable. PDF is a reading and archive format: paper size, page order and typeface live inside the file, it looks the same on every device, prints and attaches to e-mail, but its content is not meant to be read back as data. This tool is a one-way bridge that turns the JSON structure into tables and indented lines. To get back from PDF to JSON you would have to extract the text with the PDF-to-text tool and rebuild the structure by hand, so keep your .json file.

Which data becomes a table and which stays a list?

The condition for a table is that the objects on one level hold only plain values (text, numbers, yes/no, empty). If a record contains another object or a list — say each order has an "items" array underneath — that array is not turned into a table: every record is written as an indented list under a "Record 1", "Record 2" heading and the inner array is judged on its own; if it consists of records with the same fields, it becomes a table there. So in nested data tables and lists can appear side by side on one page; that is not an error but the shape of your data.

With more than 6 columns the tool turns the page landscape; with more than 12 the table no longer fits on the page, the records are written as numbered blocks of "name: value" lines and the result line says so. If you really want very wide data as a table, feed the JSON to the JSON-to-Excel tool first and print from the spreadsheet. Choosing 9 pt does not make the columns narrower; it only reduces the number of lines.

If the file will not open: syntax errors and the size limit

A single extra comma, an unclosed quote or a missing bracket makes the whole JSON unreadable; this is common in files that came by e-mail or were edited by hand. The tool reports the approximate line of the error; paste the file into the JSON formatter and the faulty spot is marked so you can fix it and try again. A file that cannot be read as a whole but whose every line is valid JSON on its own (.jsonl) does not fail: the lines are treated as a list of records.

A very large file would turn into a PDF the size of a book: the tool refuses output longer than 15,000 lines and tells you the count. Two ways out: convert the file to a table with the JSON-to-CSV tool and filter it in a spreadsheet, or copy only the part you need into a separate file and convert that. Because a single typeface is embedded there is no bold or coloured emphasis inside the PDF; headings differ only by size and weight.

Frequently asked questions

How do I convert a JSON file to PDF?

Choose the file in the box and press "Convert to PDF"; no other setting is needed. A list of records with the same fields becomes a table, nested data becomes indented "name: value" lines, and the PDF downloads under the file's name. If you pick several .json files each becomes its own PDF; to combine them, pass the downloaded files to the PDF merge tool.

I cannot open the .json file on my phone — what does this tool do?

A phone usually cannot open the .json file that comes from an app's "download my data" option, or shows it as text full of brackets. Give the file to this tool: the records inside are written to a PDF as tables and readable lines, and a PDF opens on every phone. The file never leaves your device; the conversion runs inside the browser.

Why are numbers written as 1234.56 rather than 1,234.56?

A number in JSON may be an amount, but it may also be an ID or an order number; the tool cannot tell, and adding thousands separators would have changed the number. So numbers keep the spelling they have in the file. If you want amounts formatted, convert the JSON with the JSON-to-Excel tool first, apply a number format there, and then use the Excel-to-PDF tool.

Is the text in the PDF selectable and searchable?

Yes. The PDF is not an image but real text written with an embedded typeface; you can search it with Ctrl+F and copy a record out of it. Accented letters come out correctly with the embedded Noto Sans. In the rare case that the font cannot be loaded the tool falls back to a standard typeface, writes accented letters with their ASCII equivalents and says so in the result line.