Help Centre
Getting started, common questions, and known limitations for Jsonlook.
Getting started
Jsonlook is a stateless diagnostic tool. There is nothing to install, no account to create, and nothing to pay for. Open the App page and choose one of two modes:
- Paste JSON — Paste a JSON blob into the text area and click "Parse". The result is instant: valid JSON is pretty-printed, invalid JSON is flagged with the exact line and column of the error and a plain-language explanation of what was expected.
- Inspect a URL — Enter a server URL and click "Inspect". Jsonlook fetches it exactly once (no redirects, no retries) and reports the status code, the actual Content-Type header, whether the body is valid JSON, and a human-readable verdict. Body is truncated at 10,000 bytes for display.
Both modes work immediately. There is no history, no saved data, no session — every inspection is a fresh start.
Frequently asked questions
My JSON is failing to parse, but I can't see where the error is. How does Jsonlook help?
Standard JSON parse errors like Unexpected token at position 4471 tell you something is wrong at a character offset, but not where that is in your file. Jsonlook converts that position to a line and column number, and shows you the surrounding text with the error location highlighted.
For example, a trailing comma in {"name": "Alice",} produces "Line 1, column 20" instead of a raw position number. Common issues Jsonlook catches: trailing commas, missing quotes around keys, unescaped control characters, and mismatched brackets.
How to use it: Open the Paste JSON tab, paste your text, and click "Parse". The error location and a snippet from the surrounding text appear in the result panel.
The API returns a 200 status, but the JSON is invalid. What's happening?
This is surprisingly common. A server that crashes or encounters an internal error sometimes returns a 200 status with an HTML error page or a malformed body instead of the expected JSON. The client sees a 200 and assumes success, then fails when it tries to parse the body.
Jsonlook's URL inspection mode reveals the real picture: it reports the actual status code and the actual Content-Type header. If the server says Content-Type is application/json but the body is HTML, or if the status is 200 but the body is a JSON error object, Jsonlook flags it in the verdict.
How to use it: Open the URL tab, enter the endpoint URL, and click "Inspect". Read the verdict below the metadata.
Why does Jsonlook say my URL is unreachable?
There are two common reasons:
1. The server is behind Cloudflare. Jsonlook runs on a Cloudflare Worker. Cloudflare Workers cannot reach other Cloudflare-hosted origins — this is a platform restriction, not a problem with your URL. The input field on the URL tab warns about this. If you need to inspect a Cloudflare-hosted endpoint, you would need to test it from outside the Cloudflare network (for example, from a local terminal with curl).
2. The server is down or unreachable from the Worker's network. Jsonlook attempts a single fetch with no retries and no redirect following. If the server is unreachable, times out, or returns a network error, Jsonlook reports it as unreachable. This includes private (internal) IP addresses, which the Worker cannot connect to.
Does Jsonlook save my data? What about API keys in my JSON?
No. Jsonlook is stateless by design.
Pasted JSON text is parsed entirely in your browser using JavaScript's JSON.parse(). The text never leaves your computer — it is never sent to any server, never logged, never stored. It exists only in the browser's memory for the duration of the page session and is discarded when you close or reload the page.
URL inspection sends the URL you typed to the Jsonlook Worker via an HTTPS POST request. The Worker fetches the URL exactly once, performs no logging, uses no database, and retains no record of the request or response. The response body is returned to your browser for display and is not stored anywhere.
See the Privacy Policy for full details.
Can I inspect a URL that requires authentication (API key, bearer token, cookies)?
No. Jsonlook sends a single plain fetch with redirect: 'manual' and no custom headers, no cookies, no authentication. It cannot authenticate to any server. The URL inspector is designed for public endpoints only.
If you need to inspect a private API, you would need to replicate the inspection from a local tool (e.g. curl -v from your terminal, or a scripting language with the appropriate auth headers configured).
Can I use Jsonlook to monitor my API and get alerts when it changes?
No. Jsonlook is a one-shot diagnostic tool. Every inspection is synchronous and stateless. There is no scheduler, no background checks, no email sender, and no alert system.
Scheduled re-checks and email alerts are listed as planned, but they are not built yet and there is no timeline for when or if they will ship. Jsonlook also has no email sender, so it cannot notify you of anything.
For monitoring, you would need a dedicated uptime or API monitoring service.
Known limitations
These are honest, up-front descriptions of things Jsonlook does not do or cannot do — not bugs, but deliberate current constraints.
- Cloudflare-hosted origins are unreachable. Because Jsonlook runs on a Cloudflare Worker, it cannot reach any origin also served through Cloudflare. This is a platform-level restriction. The URL input field warns about this.
- No authentication support. Jsonlook sends a single unauthenticated fetch. No custom headers, cookies, or bearer tokens can be attached. Private/authenticated APIs cannot be inspected.
- No redirect following. The Worker uses
redirect: 'manual'. A 301/302 response is reported as-is, and the body (if any) is what the redirect origin returned, not the redirect target. - Body truncated at 10,000 bytes. The Worker caps response body size at 10 KB. Larger bodies are truncated and the result panel notes this.
- No email, no alerts, no scheduled checks. Jsonlook has no email sender, no scheduler, and no persistent storage. Every inspection is manual and one-shot. Planned features like saved history, team accounts, and scheduled re-checks are not built and have no timeline.
- No legal entity. No company or legal entity has been registered for this service. The operator has not supplied a jurisdiction, company name, or address. Legal pages (terms, privacy) reflect this.
- No payment processor. The $5/month "Support development" option on the pricing page is a demonstration only. No real payment can be taken.
- Small response body trimming note: For display in the browser, the body is also truncated at 2,000 characters. The full truncated body (up to 10 KB) is available via the copy button.
Contact us
Jsonlook does not yet have a reachable email address or any contact form. The operator has not supplied a mailbox or contact method.
No mailbox exists on any domain in this fleet. If you send an email to any address you find on this site, your message will not be delivered. This is a known limitation and the operator is aware of it.
Until a contact method is established, the best way to get help is to refer to this Help Centre page, which covers the most common questions. If your issue is not covered here, it is likely a feature request or a limitation that the operator needs to evaluate — these are tracked internally.
Feature requests and bug reports: These are noted by the operator but there is no public issue tracker or guarantee of response. The most impactful feedback is the one that names the specific JSON or API problem you encountered — what you expected, what you got, and what would have helped you diagnose it faster.