jQuery parseJSON() Method

What Is parseJSON()?

jQuery.parseJSON(json) (alias $.parseJSON) takes a well-formed JSON string and returns the matching JavaScript value (added in jQuery 1.4.1). When the browser has native JSON.parse, jQuery uses it under the hood.

$.parseJSON(jsonString)  → object | array | string | number | boolean | null

obj = $.parseJSON('{ "name": "John" }')
obj.name === "John"   // true

// Modern equivalent:
obj = JSON.parse('{ "name": "John" }')

How to Use parseJSON()

Parse once, read properties, and catch errors on external data.

1. Start with a well-formed JSON string (double-quoted keys and strings).
2. Call $.parseJSON(str) — or JSON.parse(str) in new code.
3. Use the returned value like any object or array.
4. Wrap untrusted or API text in try/catch — bad JSON throws.

Pseudocode

function parseJSON(json):
    // use native JSON.parse when available
    return JSON.parse(json)

// Typical flow:
try:
    data = $.parseJSON(responseText)   // or JSON.parse(...)
    use data.name / data.items
catch error:
    handle bad JSON

Cheat Sheet

Keep these facts handy while parsing JSON with jQuery.

Live Preview

Pick a sample JSON string, parse it with $.parseJSON, and inspect the result.

sample = Object (John)
name → "John"
name === "John" → true

jQuery Examples

Short, copy-ready snippets. Open DevTools Console, or use Try It Yourself for a live editor.

var obj = $.parseJSON('{ "name": "John" }');

console.log(obj.name);              // "John"
console.log(obj.name === "John");   // true

John
true

var json = '["HTML", "CSS", "JavaScript"]';
var langs = $.parseJSON(json);

console.log(langs.length);  // 3
console.log(langs[1]);      // "CSS"

3
CSS

var samples = ["{test: 1}", "{'test': 1}", '".1"'];

samples.forEach(function (sample) {
  try {
    $.parseJSON(sample);
    console.log("ok:", sample);
  } catch (err) {
    console.log("rejected:", sample);
  }
});

rejected: {test: 1}
rejected: {'test': 1}
rejected: ".1"

var json = '{ "title": "CodeToFun", "year": 2026 }';

var withJquery = $.parseJSON(json);
var withNative = JSON.parse(json);

console.log(withJquery.title === withNative.title);  // true
console.log(withNative.year);                        // 2026

true
2026

Performance Notes

Parsing cost tracks string length. Prefer one parse per response, then pass the object around. There is no speed win to keeping $.parseJSON over JSON.parse.

Key Takeaways