Learn JSON Step By Step: Free Beginner Course Guide

Learn JSON Step By Step is a short, free beginner course that teaches JSON, the text format used to store and exchange data between apps, websites and services. It is for beginners, students and developers who keep seeing JSON in APIs and configuration files and want to understand it properly.

In about 40 minutes of bite-sized videos, you learn the syntax and every data type, then compare JSON with XML and see parsing, serialization, deserialization and JSON Schema. The full lesson list is on the JSON course page.

Who this course is for

The course is labelled Beginner. It is a good fit for:

• New programmers who meet JSON for the first time when they call an API.
• Web developers learning how front ends and back ends exchange data.
• Testers and analysts who read API responses and configuration files.
• Low-code and automation users whose tools send and receive JSON.

No previous knowledge is required. Because most videos are only two or three minutes long, it also works as a quick reference when you forget a rule.

What you will learn

The 15 videos group into five themes.

1. What JSON is. Introduction To JSON - What is JSON and its history explains where JSON came from and why it became so widely used. JSON Syntax then covers the rules every JSON document must follow. Learning these rules early saves you from the most common errors, such as a missing quote or comma.

2. Data types. JSON Data Types gives the overview, and separate lessons cover each one: Strings in JSON, Numbers in JSON, Booleans in JSON and Null value in JSON. Knowing exactly what each type can hold helps you read API responses with confidence.

3. Structure with arrays and objects. Arrays in JSON and Objects in JSON show how values are grouped into lists and named fields, and how they nest inside each other. Real-world JSON is almost always nested, so this is the core of the course.

4. JSON compared. JSON Vs XML explains the difference between the two formats. This helps when you work with older systems that still use XML.

5. Working with JSON in code. JSON Parsing, JSON Serialization and JSON Deserialization cover turning JSON text into data your program can use, and back again. JSON Schema (5 minutes, the longest lesson) shows how to describe and check the shape of your JSON.

How the course is organised

The course has 15 videos and runs for about 0.7 hours (around 40 minutes) in total. The lessons are numbered 00 to 14:

• 00 Course Introduction (4 minutes).
• 01 to 02: what JSON is, its history and its syntax.
• 03 to 09: data types, then strings, numbers, booleans, arrays, objects and null.
• 10: JSON versus XML.
• 11 to 14: parsing, serialization, deserialization and JSON Schema.

Each video covers one idea, so you can watch the whole course in one sitting or one lesson at a time. This is a classic course of video lessons only.

How to study it step by step

1. Watch lessons 00 to 02 together. Get the purpose and syntax rules clear first.
2. Open a text editor and write JSON as you go. For each data type lesson, add a field of that type to a small file, for example a profile with a name, an age, a true or false flag and an empty value.
3. Build a nested example. After Arrays in JSON and Objects in JSON, extend your file with a list of skills and an address object. Check it in any JSON validator.
4. Look at real JSON. Open the response of any public API or a configuration file you use, and identify each data type and structure you have learned.
5. Compare with XML. After JSON Vs XML, write the same small record in both formats and note which is easier to read.
6. Try parsing in a language you know. Use lessons 11 to 13 to parse your file into data and turn it back into text.
7. Finish with JSON Schema. Write a simple schema for your profile file to describe which fields it should have.

You can complete the course and these exercises in one or two short sessions.

Where to go next

JSON is everywhere in web and app development. Good next steps are the Modern JavaScript Refresher Course, since you will handle JSON constantly in JavaScript, and Learn To Code From Scratch With Python if you want to work with data in Python. Return to the JSON course page whenever you need a quick refresher on a single rule.

Frequently asked questions

Is the JSON course free?

Yes. All 15 videos are free on YouTube, and you can watch them in order on the playlist.

How long does it take to learn JSON with this course?

The videos add up to about 40 minutes. With the practice exercises above, most beginners finish in one or two short sessions.

Do I need programming experience?

Not for most of the course. The syntax, data type, array and object lessons need no coding. The parsing, serialization and deserialization lessons are easier if you know a little of any programming language.

Does the course cover JSON Schema?

Yes. The last lesson, JSON Schema, shows how to describe the structure of a JSON document. It comes after the lessons on parsing, serialization and deserialization.