Convert JSON to CSV, XML, YAML & More — Complete Guide (2026)

Conversion Map

JSON Conversion Paths

JSON → CSV

The most common conversion. Works best with flat arrays of objects that share the same keys.

Input JSON

[
  { "name": "Alice", "age": 28, "city": "SF" },
  { "name": "Bob", "age": 34, "city": "NYC" }
]

Output CSV

name,age,city
Alice,28,SF
Bob,34,NYC

Edge Cases to Watch

Problem	Solution
Nested objects	Flatten first: user.address.city → separate column
Arrays in values	Join with separator: ["a","b"] → "a;b"
Missing keys	Fill with empty string or null
Commas in values	Quote the field: "San Francisco, CA"
Unicode characters	Use UTF-8 BOM for Excel compatibility

Use Our Tool

JSON to CSV converter handles nested flattening, array explosion, and UTF-8 BOM automatically.

JSON → XML

JSON and XML have fundamentally different data models. Key decisions during conversion:

JSON Concept	XML Mapping	Example
Object key	Element name	"name": "Alice" → <name>Alice</name>
Array	Repeated elements	["a","b"] → <item>a</item><item>b</item>
null	Empty element or attribute	null → <value xsi:nil="true"/>
Number/Boolean	Text content	42 → <age>42</age> (type info lost)

JSON → XML conversion examplexml

1<!-- Input: {"user": {"name": "Alice", "roles": ["admin", "editor"]}} -->
2<root>
3  <user>
4    <name>Alice</name>
5    <roles>
6      <item>admin</item>
7      <item>editor</item>
8    </roles>
9  </user>
10</root>

Data Loss Risk

XML does not distinguish between numbers and strings — everything is text. JSON 42 and "42" both become <value>42</value>. Round-tripping is not guaranteed.

JSON → YAML

The most straightforward conversion — JSON is valid YAML, so the mapping is almost 1:1.

JSON

{
  "server": {
    "host": "0.0.0.0",
    "port": 3000,
    "debug": false
  }
}

YAML

server:
  host: "0.0.0.0"
  port: 3000
  debug: false

YAML Auto-Type Pitfall

YAML treats on/off/yes/no as booleans, 3.10 as float 3.1. Always quote ambiguous strings when converting.

JSON → Markdown

Converting JSON to Markdown is useful for documentation, README files, and reports.

Array of objects → Markdown tabletext

1| name  | age | city |
2|-------|-----|------|
3| Alice | 28  | SF   |
4| Bob   | 34  | NYC  |

Reverse Conversions

CSV → JSON

Each CSV row becomes a JSON object. The header row provides the keys. Handle type inference carefully — everything in CSV is a string by default.

Type inference strategyjavascript

1// Raw CSV parse: { "age": "28", "active": "true" }
2// With type inference: { "age": 28, "active": true }
3// Rule: parse numbers, booleans, and null; keep everything else as string

XML → JSON

The hardest reverse conversion. Decisions: should XML attributes become properties? Should text nodes be extracted? How to handle namespaces?

Try These Tools

JSON to CSV

Convert JSON arrays to CSV with flattening

Open tool

CSV to JSON

Import CSV data into JSON with type inference

Open tool

JSON to XML

Convert JSON to well-formed XML

Open tool

JSON to YAML

Convert JSON to clean YAML

Open tool

JSON to Markdown

Export JSON as Markdown tables

Open tool

JSON to Text

Convert JSON to readable plain text

Open tool

Conversion Best Practices

Always validate output after conversion

Flatten nested JSON before converting to CSV

Quote ambiguous values when converting to YAML

Use UTF-8 encoding for all conversions

Test with edge cases: null, empty arrays, deep nesting

Keep a copy of the original JSON before transforming

Use streaming for files over 50 MB

Check for data type loss in XML round-trips

Try It Yourself

Here's a JSON array. Think about how this would map to CSV columns, XML elements, and YAML structure.

Try It Yourself

Validate this JSON, then try our converter tools above

Continue Learning

JSON vs XML vs YAML

When to use each format

JSON Data Types

Understand types before converting

Nested JSON

Flatten before converting to CSV

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I convert JSON to CSV without losing data?

Flat JSON (array of objects with the same keys) converts perfectly. Nested objects and arrays require flattening first, which may change the structure. Always verify the output.

How do I convert JSON to XML?

Use a converter tool or library. Key decisions: should JSON keys become XML elements or attributes? How should arrays map? Our JSON to XML tool handles these automatically.

Is JSON to YAML lossless?

Nearly. Both formats support the same data types. The only risk is YAML auto-type detection (e.g., "yes" becomes boolean true). Quote ambiguous strings to prevent this.

What is the best way to convert large JSON files?

Use streaming parsers for files over 100 MB. For smaller files, our browser-based tools handle conversion locally without uploading your data.

Can I convert JSON to Excel directly?

Convert JSON to CSV first, then open the CSV in Excel. For nested JSON, flatten it first using a JSON Flattener, then export to CSV.