Validate JSON Like a Pro: Catch Syntax Errors Before They Break Your App

A single missing comma in a JSON config file can take down your entire application. Here's how to validate JSON files before they cause damage.

Install json-tidy

npm install -g json-tidy-pro

Validate Single File

json-tidy validate config.json
# ✅ Valid JSON!

Validate Multiple Files

json-tidy validate config/*.json
# ✅ config.json: Valid
# ❌ database.json: Invalid - missing comma at line 42
# ✅ routes.json: Valid

Integrate into Git Hooks

# .git/hooks/pre-commit
#!/bin/bash
npx json-tidy validate config/*.json
if [ $? -ne 0 ]; then
    echo "❌ Invalid JSON detected. Fix before committing."
    exit 1
fi

Integrate into CI/CD

# .github/workflows/validate.yml
name: Validate JSON
on: [push]
jobs:
  validate:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
      - run: npx json-tidy validate ./config/**/*.json

Common JSON Errors json-tidy Catches

• Missing commas in objects and arrays
• Trailing commas (not allowed in strict JSON)
• Unquoted property names
• Single quotes instead of double quotes
• Comments (not valid in JSON)
• Extra trailing content

Install

npm install -g json-tidy-pro

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