DevFrontier

Posted on Sep 1 • Edited on Sep 4

Everything You Need to Know About JSON.parse() and JSON.stringify()

#json #programming

Working with JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a fundamental skill for any JavaScript developer. Whether you're fetching data from an API, storing state in localStorage, or communicating between services, two methods play a central role:

JSON.parse() – converts JSON strings into JavaScript objects.
JSON.stringify() – converts JavaScript objects into JSON strings.

In this article, we’ll cover how they work, their options, pitfalls, and advanced use cases.

What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data format used to represent structured data. It’s human-readable and language-independent, making it the most common format for APIs and data storage.

A JSON string looks like this:

{
  "name": "Alice",
  "age": 25,
  "isAdmin": false,
  "skills": ["JavaScript", "React", "Node.js"]
}

But in JavaScript, this would be represented as an object:

{
  name: "Alice",
  age: 25,
  isAdmin: false,
  skills: ["JavaScript", "React", "Node.js"]
}

JSON.parse()

Basic Usage

JSON.parse() takes a JSON string and converts it into a JavaScript object:

const jsonString = '{"name":"Alice","age":25}';
const obj = JSON.parse(jsonString);

console.log(obj.name); // "Alice"
console.log(obj.age);  // 25

With Arrays

const jsonArray = '[1, 2, 3, 4]';
const arr = JSON.parse(jsonArray);

console.log(arr[0]); // 1

Error Handling
If the string is not valid JSON, it throws a SyntaxError:

try {
  JSON.parse("{name: 'Alice'}"); // Invalid JSON
} catch (e) {
  console.error("Parsing failed:", e.message);
}

Tip: Always wrap JSON.parse() in try...catch when working with external data.

The reviver Function

JSON.parse() can take a second argument — a reviver function — to transform values while parsing:

const data = '{"name":"Alice","birthYear":1995}';

const obj = JSON.parse(data, (key, value) => {
  if (key === "birthYear") {
    return new Date().getFullYear() - value; // Convert to age
  }
  return value;
});

console.log(obj); // { name: "Alice", birthYear: 30 } (assuming current year = 2025)

JSON.stringify()

Basic Usage

**JSON.stringify() **converts an object into a JSON string:

const obj = { name: "Alice", age: 25 };
const jsonString = JSON.stringify(obj);

console.log(jsonString);
// '{"name":"Alice","age":25}'

With Arrays

const arr = [1, 2, 3];
console.log(JSON.stringify(arr)); // "[1,2,3]"

Handling Non-Serializable Values

undefined, functions, and symbols are skipped:

const obj = { a: 1, b: undefined, c: () => {} };
console.log(JSON.stringify(obj)); // '{"a":1}'

NaN, Infinity, and -Infinity become null:

console.log(JSON.stringify([NaN, Infinity, -Infinity])); // "[null,null,null]"

The replacer Function

You can control what gets included using a replacer function or array:

const user = { name: "Alice", age: 25, password: "secret" };

// Function replacer
console.log(JSON.stringify(user, (key, value) => {
  if (key === "password") return undefined;
  return value;
}));
// '{"name":"Alice","age":25}'

// Array replacer (whitelist keys)
console.log(JSON.stringify(user, ["name", "age"]));
// '{"name":"Alice","age":25}'

Pretty Printing (Indentation)
You can add spacing to make JSON more readable:

const obj = { name: "Alice", age: 25 };
console.log(JSON.stringify(obj, null, 2));

Output:

{
  "name": "Alice",
  "age": 25
}

Common Use Cases

Local Storage

localStorage only stores strings, so JSON.stringify() and JSON.parse() are essential:

const user = { name: "Alice", age: 25 };

// Save
localStorage.setItem("user", JSON.stringify(user));

// Retrieve
const savedUser = JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem("user"));
console.log(savedUser.name); // "Alice"

API Requests & Responses

Most APIs send and receive JSON:

fetch("/api/user")
  .then(res => res.json()) // equivalent to JSON.parse()
  .then(data => console.log(data));

When sending data:

fetch("/api/user", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: { "Content-Type": "application/json" },
  body: JSON.stringify({ name: "Alice", age: 25 })
});

Deep Cloning Objects

A common trick is to deep-clone an object with JSON:

const obj = { name: "Alice", skills: ["JS"] };
const clone = JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(obj));

clone.skills.push("React");

console.log(obj.skills);   // ["JS"]
console.log(clone.skills); // ["JS", "React"]

⚠️ Caveat: This fails with functions, Dates, Map, Set, and other non-JSON values.

Pitfalls & Limitations

Circular References
Objects with self-references cannot be stringified:

const obj = {};
obj.self = obj;
JSON.stringify(obj); // Throws TypeError

Loss of Data Types

Dates become strings
undefined, functions, symbols are removed
Map, Set, RegExp are not preserved

Performance Concerns
For very large objects, JSON.stringify() and JSON.parse() can be slow. Libraries like flatted or superjson help handle advanced cases.

. Alternatives & Advanced Tools

structuredClone() – modern alternative for deep cloning, supports more types than JSON.parse(JSON.stringify(...)).

Libraries: