This week's tip of the week is JSON Alexander. If you work with APIs, you've probably had some kind of JSON formatter browser extension installed for years.
Maybe it was JSON Formatter. I did too, until it came out that it had started injecting geolocation tracking and donation UI directly into websites, with a Reddit thread suggesting it was also swapping affiliate tracking IDs, Honey-style. Yeah, uninstall that.
George squinting suspiciously at JSON Formatter
Wes Bos saw the same thing and did what any developer would do: built his own browser extension that isn’t shady. JSON Alexander takes over any URL that returns raw JSON and replaces the browser's default wall of text with a clean, interactive tree view. You get syntax highlighting, collapsible nodes, depth controls (1, 2, 3... All) to expand or collapse entire levels at once, and light/dark/auto themes.
You can hover any property to see its full JSON path, click to pin it, and copy it to your clipboard. There's also a Raw and Copy JSON button if you just need the whole payload. And you can also use the JSON in the browser console via window.data.
JSON Alexander in action with Chrome browser console showing window.data
Chrome, Edge, and other Chromium-based browsers can install it straight from the Chrome Web Store. Firefox users will need to load it as an unpacked extension. The GitHub repo has instructions.
That's it! Short and sweet. Until the next one!
