What is jq and what is this playground for?

jq is a lightweight and flexible command-line JSON processor. This online playground lets you test, write, and refine jq filter queries directly in your browser without installing the jq CLI locally.

How do I query an array or extract nested properties?

Use the dot notation and array brackets. For example, ".users[]" extracts all items from the users array, and ".users[].email" plucks the email field from each record. Use ".[0:3]" to slice the first three elements.

Does it support pipes (|)?

Yes. Pipes pass the output of one filter into the next. For example, ".store.books[] | .title" iterates over each book and outputs its title.

Is my data transmitted to any server?

No. All jq filter calculations and evaluations run 100% locally on your machine using client-side JavaScript. No data is sent over the network.

jq Playground

Interactive in-browser jq query playground and tester. Filter, pluck, slice, and transform JSON payloads in real time.

jq Query Filter

Output:

Quick examples:

Input JSON1,300 characters

{
  "store": {
    "name": "Central Plaza Bookstore",
    "location": "Downtown Tech Hub",
    "books": [
      {
        "id": 101,
        "category": "Programming",
        "title": "Designing Data-Intensive Applications",
        "author": "Martin Kleppmann",
        "price": 38.99,
        "inStock": true,
        "tags": [
          "database",
          "distributed",
          "architecture"
        ]
      },
      {
        "id": 102,
        "category": "Software Engineering",
        "title": "Clean Code",
        "author": "Robert C. Martin",
        "price": 29.5,
        "inStock": true,
        "tags": [
          "clean-code",
          "craftsmanship",
          "refactoring"
        ]
      },
      {
        "id": 103,
        "category": "Algorithms",
        "title": "Introduction to Algorithms",
        "author": "Thomas H. Cormen",
        "price": 84.95,
        "inStock": false,
        "tags": [
          "computer-science",
          "math",
          "algorithms"
        ]
      },
      {
        "id": 104,
        "category": "DevOps",
        "title": "The Phoenix Project",
        "author": "Gene Kim",
        "price": 21,
        "inStock": true,
        "tags": [
          "devops",
          "it",
          "agile"
        ]
      }
    ]
  }
}

Filtered Result

17.68 ms

Valid Output

[
  "Designing Data-Intensive Applications",
  "Clean Code",
  "Introduction to Algorithms",
  "The Phoenix Project"
]

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Interactive In-Browser jq Query Playground

Writing and debugging complex jq commands in your terminal often involves repetitive trial and error. The jq Playground provides an interactive, live environment to experiment with jq filter expressions with instant real-time feedback.

Common jq Cheatsheet & Syntax Guide

Filter	Description	Example
.	Identity filter (formats/returns document)	.
.key	Retrieves the value of a specific object field	.store.name
.[]	Unwraps an array into individual items	.books[]
.[0]	Selects item at index 0 of an array	.books[0]
.[0:2]	Slices elements from index 0 up to 2	.books[0:2]
.[].key	Plucks a field from every element in an array	.books[].title
\|	Pipes results from one filter into another	.books[] \| .price

Related JSON Tools

Frequently Asked Questions

What is jq and what is this playground for?: jq is a lightweight and flexible command-line JSON processor. This online playground lets you test, write, and refine jq filter queries directly in your browser without installing the jq CLI locally.
How do I query an array or extract nested properties?: Use the dot notation and array brackets. For example, ".users[]" extracts all items from the users array, and ".users[].email" plucks the email field from each record. Use ".[0:3]" to slice the first three elements.
Does it support pipes (|)?: Yes. Pipes pass the output of one filter into the next. For example, ".store.books[] | .title" iterates over each book and outputs its title.
Is my data transmitted to any server?: No. All jq filter calculations and evaluations run 100% locally on your machine using client-side JavaScript. No data is sent over the network.