Guides

Plain answers to real JSON questions. No listicles.

JSON vs YAML — what actually differs, and when each wins

YAML can express everything JSON can, more readably, but trades that readability for ambiguity: nesting by indentation, implicit typing, and features that surprise even careful people.
What is JSON Schema, and when do you actually need it?

JSON Schema is a JSON document that describes what another JSON document is allowed to look like, so a program can check new data against the contract automatically.
Why is my JSON invalid? The seven real causes

Almost every invalid JSON file breaks one of seven rules: a trailing comma, a missing comma, wrong quotes, an unquoted key, a comment, a wrong bracket, or a number written the wrong way.