New to JSON? This video covers everything you need to know about the format that powers theme.json files.
JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight data format that’s easier to read than XML and commonly used for configuration files and APIs. It supports strings, numbers, booleans, null values, arrays, and objects.
Every JSON file contains a single root object defined by curly braces. Inside, you’ll find key-value pairs where keys are always strings and values can be any supported data type. Objects can be nested and combined with arrays for complex data structures.
The key gotcha? JSON is strict about commas – every entry needs a trailing comma except the last one. Use a good code editor with JSON support and you’ll catch syntax errors immediately, making theme.json editing much smoother.