# JSON Flattener

Flatten nested JSON objects into key-value pairs with customizable delimiters and flattening strategies

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/json-flattener

- **Category:** Data Processing

- **Keywords:** json, flatten, nested, object, transform, key-value, hierarchical

## Overview

The JSON Flattener is a powerful utility designed to transform complex, deeply nested JSON objects into a simplified, flat structure of key-value pairs, making your data easier to analyze, map, or import into tabular formats.

## Inputs

- **JSON Input** (textarea): Enter your nested JSON object...
- **Flattening Strategy** (select)
- **Key Delimiter** (text): Character to join nested keys
- **Maximum Depth** (number): Maximum nesting depth to flatten (0 = unlimited)
- **Include Arrays in Flattening** (checkbox)
- **Filter Out Null/Undefined Values** (checkbox)
- **Preserve Original Order** (checkbox)
- **Sort Keys** (select)

## When to use

- Preparing nested API responses for import into spreadsheet software like Excel or Google Sheets.
- Simplifying complex configuration files to make specific settings easier to search and manage.
- Standardizing hierarchical data structures for database ingestion or flat-file storage.

## How it works

- Paste your nested JSON object into the input area.
- Select your preferred flattening strategy, such as dot notation or bracket syntax, and define a custom delimiter if needed.
- Adjust optional settings like maximum depth, array inclusion, or key sorting to refine the output.
- Generate the flattened result instantly to copy or download for your project.

## Use cases

- Converting complex JSON API responses into flat CSV-compatible formats for data analysis.
- Flattening application configuration files to quickly identify and update specific nested parameters.
- Normalizing hierarchical data for easier integration with legacy systems that only support flat key-value pairs.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does the 'Flattening Strategy' option do?

It determines the syntax used to represent nested keys in the final flat output, such as using dots (user.details.name) or slashes (/user/details/name).

### Can I limit how deep the tool flattens the JSON?

Yes, you can set the 'Maximum Depth' parameter to stop flattening after a specific number of levels, keeping deeper structures intact.

### Does this tool handle arrays within the JSON?

Yes, you can toggle the 'Include Arrays' option to decide whether array elements should be flattened into the key-value structure.

### Can I remove empty values from the output?

Yes, enable the 'Filter Out Null/Undefined Values' checkbox to automatically exclude any keys that do not contain data.

### Is the original order of keys preserved?

By default, the tool preserves the original order, but you can override this by selecting a sorting option like 'Alphabetical' or 'By Depth'.

## Related tools

- [JSON Key Renamer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/json-key-renamer): Batch rename JSON object keys with support for patterns, rules, and transformations. Perfect for API response formatting and data normalization.
- [JSON Unflattener](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/json-unflattener): Convert flattened key-value pairs back to nested JSON objects with support for different key formats and data type inference
- [From Pairs](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/from-pairs): Convert array of key-value pairs to object using lodash _.fromPairs
- [JSON Key Extractor](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/json-key-extractor): Extract all keys from JSON objects with multiple output formats. Perfect for analyzing JSON structure, documentation generation, and understanding complex nested objects.
- [Object Key-Value Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/object-key-value-converter): Convert between different object key-value formats and manipulate object structures
- [CSV to JSON Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/csv-to-json): Convert CSV data to JSON format with customizable parsing options
- [Messy Text to Structured Data Workbench](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/messy-text-to-structured-data-workbench): Infer tables from pasted text, mixed delimiters, key-value lines, or HTML and export CSV, JSON, and Markdown.
- [Text to JSON Converter](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/text-to-json): Convert various text formats to JSON with customizable parsing options

## Samples

- [Terraform Plan JSON Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/terraform-plan-json-samples): Sample Terraform plan JSON files exported from terraform show -json style payloads for dependency visualization and change review
- [JSON Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/json): JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) format examples from simple to complex structures
- [Chat Transcript JSON Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/chat-transcript-json): JSON examples for multi-role chat transcripts
- [Rich Media JSON Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/rich-media-json): JSON examples for popular rich text editors (TipTap, Quill, Slate)