How to Convert Excel to JSON and JSON to Excel

Excel is perfect for entering and viewing data in a table. But as soon as you need to reuse it in a website, an application or an automated import, the JSON format becomes essential. Knowing how to switch between the two opens up many possibilities, even without being a developer.

What exactly is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a text format that describes data in a structured way, readable by both machines and humans. Where Excel arranges information in rows and columns, JSON represents it as "key: value" pairs grouped into objects.

Concretely, a spreadsheet row with the columns name, email and age becomes a small JSON object containing those three named pieces of information. It's the most widespread exchange format on the web: almost all sites and applications use it to transmit data.

Why convert Excel to JSON?

• Feed a site or app: developers prefer to receive a list of products, customers or articles in JSON rather than as a spreadsheet.
• Import into another tool: many platforms (databases, online services, automations) accept JSON as input.
• Handle data programmatically: JSON can be read in a few lines of code in any language.

Why convert JSON to Excel?

The reverse direction is just as useful. You get data in JSON format (an export from a service, an API response, an application backup) and want to read, sort or edit it comfortably? Turning it into a spreadsheet lets you open it in Excel, LibreOffice or Google Sheets, where anyone can filter, calculate and format without technical knowledge.

Preparing your file well

For a clean Excel-to-JSON conversion, a few simple rules make all the difference:

• A single header row: the first row should contain the column names, which will become the JSON "keys".
• Clear, duplicate-free labels: avoid two columns with the same name.
• Consistent data: an "age" column that sometimes contains text will produce an inconsistent result.

For JSON to Excel, the ideal is to start from an array of objects that all share the same keys: each object becomes a row, each key a column.

In summary

Excel and JSON aren't opposites: they complement each other. The spreadsheet is for entering and viewing, JSON for exchanging and automating. Switching between the two in seconds, directly in the browser, saves you valuable time — and your data stays private, since nothing is sent to a server.