If you’ve ever seen this:
Unexpected token } in JSON at position 42
Congrats. You’ve officially joined the club.
😅 The Classic Scenario
You’re just trying to:
- call an API
- parse a config
- or debug something simple
And suddenly:
💥 everything breaks
🔥 The Problem (aka “it looks fine to me”)
Example:
{
"name": "John",
"age": 30,
}
Looks fine, right?
Nope. That trailing comma just ruined your day.
🧠 Why JSON Is So Annoying
Because JSON is stricter than your code reviewer.
It does NOT allow:
- trailing commas
- single quotes
- comments
Meanwhile JavaScript is like:
“eh, whatever bro”
⚡ The Fastest Way to Fix It
Instead of staring at your screen for 10 minutes:
👉 https://tooldock.org/tools/json-validator
Paste → instant error → fixed.
No guessing. No pain.
🧪 Quick Debug Checklist
When JSON breaks, check:
- ❌ trailing commas
- ❌ missing quotes
- ❌ broken
{}or[] - ❌ undefined values
💀 Real Talk
Most JSON bugs are not complex.
They’re just:
“you missed one tiny thing”
🔗 Want deeper breakdown?
More examples + real fixes here:
👉 https://tooldock.org/json-parse-error-explained
💡 Pro Tip
When debugging API responses:
- always log raw JSON
- validate before parsing
- never trust external data blindly
(yes, even your own backend)
⚙️ Final Thought
JSON errors are annoying.
But once you know the patterns — they become a 5-second fix.
If this saved you even 1 debug session — mission accomplished 🚀
