---
alias: []
description: 'Documentation for the JSONAsString format'
input_format: true
keywords: ['JSONAsString']
output_format: false
slug: /interfaces/formats/JSONAsString
title: 'JSONAsString'
doc_type: 'reference'
---

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| Input | Output  | Alias |
|-------|---------|-------|
| ✔     | ✗       |       |

## Description {#description}

In this format, a single JSON object is interpreted as a single value. 
If the input has several JSON objects (which are comma separated), they are interpreted as separate rows. 
If the input data is enclosed in `[]`, it is interpreted as an array of JSON objects.

<Note>
This format can only be parsed for a table with a single field of type [String](/reference/data-types/string).
The remaining columns must be set to either [`DEFAULT`](/reference/statements/create/table#default) or [`MATERIALIZED`](/reference/statements/create/view#materialized-view),
or be omitted. 
</Note>

Once you serialize the entire JSON object to a String you can use the [JSON functions](/reference/functions/regular-functions/json-functions) to process it.

## Example usage {#example-usage}

### Basic example {#basic-example}

```sql title="Query"
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS json_as_string;
CREATE TABLE json_as_string (json String) ENGINE = Memory;
INSERT INTO json_as_string (json) FORMAT JSONAsString {"foo":{"bar":{"x":"y"},"baz":1}},{},{"any json stucture":1}
SELECT * FROM json_as_string;
```

```response title="Response"
┌─json──────────────────────────────┐
│ {"foo":{"bar":{"x":"y"},"baz":1}} │
│ {}                                │
│ {"any json stucture":1}           │
└───────────────────────────────────┘
```

### An array of JSON objects {#an-array-of-json-objects}

```sql title="Query"
CREATE TABLE json_square_brackets (field String) ENGINE = Memory;
INSERT INTO json_square_brackets FORMAT JSONAsString [{"id": 1, "name": "name1"}, {"id": 2, "name": "name2"}];

SELECT * FROM json_square_brackets;
```

```response title="Response"
┌─field──────────────────────┐
│ {"id": 1, "name": "name1"} │
│ {"id": 2, "name": "name2"} │
└────────────────────────────┘
```

## Format settings {#format-settings}
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