Opening a JSON file on Windows 11 is usually a two‑minute task — but doing it safely, with the right tool for reading, editing, validating, or importing data, requires deliberate choices. The quick options are
Notepad for a plain‑text look,
Visual Studio Code or
Notepad++ for syntax‑aware editing, a browser (often with a JSON viewer extension) for a readable tree view, and Excel or PowerShell for structured import and programmatic manipulation — each method has strengths, caveats, and real‑world troubleshooting tips that every Windows user should know.
Background / Overview
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a plain‑text, schema‑free format used widely for configuration, data interchange, APIs, and application settings. Because JSON is just text,
any text editor can open it; however, the difference between a readable view and a safe, editable workflow comes down to the editor and the task. For quick viewing you might use Notepad or a browser; for editing you’ll want a syntax‑aware editor like Visual Studio Code or Notepad++; for importing into spreadsheets or programs you’ll use Excel’s Get Data or PowerShell’s ConvertFrom‑Json to avoid structural errors.
The guidance from the practical Windows‑focused how‑to notes recommends common built‑in and third‑party tools: Notepad, Visual Studio Code, web browsers (Chrome/Firefox with a JSON viewer), Microsoft Word and WordPad for basic viewing, and third‑party editors like Notepad++ for advanced editing. These are useful fallbacks and quick wins for Windows 11 users.
Why the difference matters: view vs. edit vs. import
- Viewing: You want to read the data (collapse/expand objects, check structure).
- Editing: You want syntax highlighting, error detection, and possibly formatting/validation.
- Importing: You want the JSON turned into a table or objects for analysis (Excel, PowerShell).
Choosing the wrong tool makes it easy to corrupt a file (accidentally remove a quote or comma), to lose data fidelity during import, or to miss structural errors that will break an application that consumes the JSON.
How to open a JSON file on Windows 11 — step‑by‑step options
1) Use Windows Notepad (fast, built‑in)
Notepad will open any JSON file as plain text. It’s the most accessible immediate option on a default Windows 11 install.
- Press the Windows key, type Notepad, and press Enter to open the app.
- From Notepad’s menu choose File → Open.
- In the Open dialog set the file type dropdown to All Files, navigate to your .json file, and click Open.
Notepad is fine for quick reads or tiny edits, but it does not provide JSON syntax highlighting or structural validation. For a developer or power user, a richer editor is recommended.
2) Use Visual Studio Code (recommended for editing)
Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is a free, cross‑platform editor with built‑in JSON support (syntax highlighting, folding, validation).
- Install and open Visual Studio Code.
- File → Open File…, choose the .json file and click Open. Alternatively, open a terminal and run code path\to\file.json.
- Use the built‑in JSON language features: format document (Shift+Alt+F), and view problems/errors in the Problems panel.
VS Code preserves encodings, supports extensions for JSON schema validation, and makes detecting missing commas or mismatched braces easy. The editor’s Open File mechanics are standard and well documented.
3) Use a web browser (quick readable view)
Double‑clicking a .json file and opening it in Chrome or Firefox gives you a readable text dump — but for a friendly, collapsible tree view you should install a JSON viewer extension.
- Right‑click the file → Open with → Google Chrome (or Choose another app → Chrome).
- If raw JSON shows as one long line, install a JSON viewer/formatter extension for tree view and syntax highlighting.
Several Chrome extensions (JSON Viewer / JSON Formatter) auto‑detect .json files and render them in a collapsible, highlighted tree — useful for inspection without editing.
4) Use Microsoft Word (viewing/editing with caution)
Word can open JSON files as plain text if you set the file type to All Files in the Open dialog, but Word will not preserve strict JSON formatting (it may insert smart quotes or rich‑text artifacts). Use Word only for
reading or copying content; do not rely on it to edit production JSON.
Steps:
- Open Word → File → Open → Browse.
- Set File type to All Files.
- Select the .json file and open.
Because Word is a rich editor, it can modify characters (curly quotes, invisible characters) that break JSON parsing. If your goal is editing JSON for software use, prefer a code editor.
5) Use WordPad (if present) — note: WordPad availability changed
Historically WordPad was a lightweight rich‑text editor on Windows that could open text files, including JSON. However, WordPad was removed from some Windows 11 images starting with 24H2; many users no longer have WordPad available by default. If WordPad exists on your machine, you can open JSON via File → Open and selecting All Files — but the same caution about rich‑text editors applies: they can alter the file’s plain‑text content.
Editing, saving, and closing JSON files safely
- Use an editor that shows syntax errors (VS Code, Notepad++) to avoid accidental corruption. Notepad++ remains a popular free alternative with syntax highlighting and plugin support.
- Save frequently (Ctrl+S), and use Save As to create backups before major changes.
- When saving, ensure the file encoding matches what the consumer expects (UTF‑8 without BOM is the safest default for JSON).
- Avoid using word processors (Word, WordPad) for final edits; they can introduce invisible formatting changes.
- If you must change the extension (e.g., to .txt for plain viewing), use Save As and explicitly pick the file name with .txt extension. This is an accepted quick conversion to "plain text."
Converting a JSON file into readable tabular form (Excel and PowerShell)
Importing into Excel (structured view)
Modern Excel (Get & Transform / Power Query) can import JSON directly and flatten it into tables:
- Open Excel → Data tab → Get Data → From File → From JSON (or File → Open and choose the .json file; Excel may launch Power Query automatically).
- Excel will open Power Query and present the JSON as a record/tree. Use Transform → To Table and then expand nested records/arrays to create columns.
- Load to worksheet when the transformation is complete.
This workflow is supported by Microsoft‑documented examples and practical support articles and is the correct approach when you need tabular analysis inside Excel. For older Excel versions, the Get Data functionality may be absent — in those cases, use PowerShell or a converter first.
Convert and edit with PowerShell (scriptable, repeatable)
PowerShell has native JSON cmdlets that are excellent for scripted, reliable changes:
- Read and parse:
- $obj = Get-Content -Path "C:\path\file.json" -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json
- Edit programmatically:
- $obj.Property = "new value"
- Write back:
- $obj | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 32 | Set-Content -Path "C:\path\file.json"
PowerShell’s ConvertTo‑Json has a default depth limit; specify -Depth when working with deeply nested JSON. For automation, PowerShell is robust and avoids accidental formatting issues you might introduce in a GUI editor.
Common issues and how to fix them
Incorrect file extension or hidden extensions
Windows identifies files by extension. If a .json file won’t open as expected, check for an incorrect extension or a misnamed file (e.g., file.json.txt). Show file extensions in File Explorer (View → Show → File name extensions) and correct the extension via Rename if necessary.
Using the wrong editor (plain Notepad only vs. syntax‑aware editor)
Editing JSON in plain Notepad is possible but error‑prone. Missing commas, unescaped quotes, or mismatched braces are easy to introduce and hard to spot. Use VS Code or Notepad++ to get error highlighting and bracket matching.
JSON formatting errors / parse errors
If an application complains about invalid JSON, look for:
- Missing commas between items,
- Unescaped double quotes inside strings,
- Trailing commas (not allowed in strict JSON),
- Mismatched braces/brackets.
Fixes:
- Open the file in a JSON‑aware editor; use Format Document (or a formatter/validator) to locate errors.
- Use online or local validators to identify the error line and position. If you prefer local tools, VS Code shows parse errors inline.
JSON not importing into Excel
If Excel doesn’t recognize the JSON file, ensure you’re using a version with Power Query / Get Data. Older Excel versions (pre‑2016 or certain builds) may not include direct support; in those cases use a conversion script or upgrade Excel. Microsoft documentation and community guidance explain this limitation and provide workarounds.
Editor not available (WordPad removed or app missing)
Some Windows images omit certain apps (for example WordPad removal in later Windows 11 builds). If a recommended app is missing, install an alternative (Notepad++, VS Code) or enable the optional feature where applicable. Check your Windows image and update strategy if you rely on built‑in tools.
Validators and viewers — recommended tools
- Visual Studio Code (free) — best all‑rounder for editing, validating, formatting.
- Notepad++ — lightweight, fast, with syntax highlighting and plugins.
- Chrome/Firefox + JSON Viewer extension — great for read‑only tree browsing. Several popular extensions exist in the Chrome Web Store and Firefox add‑ons lists.
- Excel (Power Query) — when you need table output for analysis.
- PowerShell / jq (command line) — for automation and large files; jq is faster and designed for large streams.
Security, privacy, and operational considerations
- JSON files sometimes contain secrets (API keys, passwords, tokens). Treat JSON like any other sensitive configuration: do not open or upload it to third‑party online tools unless you are certain the content is safe and you trust the service.
- Scanning: Run files through your endpoint protection before opening if obtained from an untrusted source. JSON is text and cannot execute by itself, but configuration files can contain credentials used elsewhere.
- Backups: Always keep a copy of the original JSON before editing — Save As with a version suffix (file.v1.json).
- Deployment risk: If a file is consumed by a server or application pipeline, validate changes in a test environment. A missing comma or stray BOM can break parsing at runtime.
- When importing into Excel or other tools, confirm the output schema; automated flattening can lose structure or misalign rows if the JSON shape varies between entries.
Advanced tips and tricks
- Pretty‑print quickly: In VS Code press Shift+Alt+F to format JSON nicely. In PowerShell you can produce indented JSON via ConvertTo‑Json -Depth 32.
- Large files: Not all editors handle gigabyte‑scale JSON well. For very large JSON logs, use streaming tools (jq, custom scripts, or command‑line processors) rather than GUI editors. PowerShell can be slower on very large files; jq or Python streaming parsers may be preferable.
- Associate a default app: To make JSON files open with your preferred editor by double‑click, right‑click any .json file → Open with → Choose another app → Select your editor and check Always use this app to open .json files.
- Validate schema: For complex configurations, use JSON Schema with editors that support schema validation to prevent invalid configuration from being saved.
Quick reference — How to open a JSON file in Windows 11 (one‑page cheat sheet)
- For a quick look: Right‑click → Open with → Notepad (All systems).
- For editing: Use Visual Studio Code → File → Open File (syntax, validation, format).
- For readable browsing: Open with Chrome/Firefox + JSON Viewer extension (collapsible tree).
- For Excel import: Excel → Data → Get Data → From File → From JSON (Power Query).
- For automation: PowerShell → Get-Content -Raw | ConvertFrom-Json ; modify; ConvertTo-Json -Depth n > file.json.
- If errors appear: open file in VS Code or a JSON validator to get precise error lines and fix missing commas/quotes.
Conclusion
Opening a JSON file on Windows 11 is straightforward: any text editor will work for viewing, but choosing the right tool makes the difference between a safe edit and a production outage. For quick reads use Notepad or a browser; for real editing use Visual Studio Code or Notepad++; for structured analysis use Excel’s Power Query or PowerShell for scripted transformations. Always validate JSON after edits, keep backups, and treat JSON files containing credentials with the same caution as any secret. The practical, tested steps above combine the simple Windows built‑in approaches and the more robust developer workflows so users can pick the right balance of speed, safety, and capability.
Source: Windows Report
How to Open a JSON File on Windows 11