Step-by-step workflow

Compare and understand JSON data

Check that both inputs are valid JSON, compare their values and review each changed path before reuse.

1. Check the inputs

Use JSON Formatter to check each document if you are unsure it is valid JSON. Keep a copy of the original. Do not paste secrets into a public example or shared screenshot.

2. Compare the structure

Open JSON Semantic Diff from the button above. Paste Before JSON into Left JSON.
Paste Reordered JSON into Right JSON and press Run. Expect Differences: 0.
Replace Right JSON with Changed JSON and run again. Expect Differences: 1, with /active changed from true to false.
Review every changed path before updating a configuration or reusing an API response.

Compare values, not object key order

These first two objects have the same values. Reordering object keys should produce zero differences.

Before JSON

{
  "id": 101,
  "name": "Ada",
  "active": true
}

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Reordered JSON

{
  "active": true,
  "name": "Ada",
  "id": 101
}

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Now change one value

Changed JSON

{
  "id": 101,
  "name": "Ada",
  "active": false
}

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Expected result

Differences: 1

Path /active changes from true to false.

The ID and name stay the same. No paths are added or removed.

Arrays are compared by position, so reordering an array can produce differences. The number 101 and the string "101" are also different. This is a structural comparison, not a schema or business-rule validation.

3. Review what the change means

The sample changes /active from true to false. Confirm that this is intentional before applying a configuration or importing a response. A structural diff shows a difference; it does not decide whether that change is correct for your system.

4. Inspect the expected shape

Use JSON Schema Inferencer on representative data if you need a starting point for the expected structure. Review the inferred schema manually; a single example does not describe every valid record.

Continue your workflow

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