XLSX to JSON Converter – Turn Excel Sheets into JSON Free

Excel workbooks are where data lives, but JSON is what apps, APIs and websites actually speak. This free XLSX to JSON converter bridges the two: drop in an .xlsx or .xls file and get clean, pretty-printed JSON you can copy, inspect and download in seconds. Pick any sheet in the workbook, keep the first row as object keys or switch to a plain array of arrays, and check the row and column counts before you save. There is nothing to install and no account to create — the conversion happens entirely on this page, ready for your next project, import or script.

How to convert an XLSX file to JSON

Drag your Excel file onto the drop zone, or click the zone and choose the file from your device. The converter reads the workbook straight away and converts its first sheet. If the workbook holds several sheets, pick the one you need from the Sheet list — each sheet converts on its own, so a workbook of monthly tabs becomes one JSON file per month. Leave First row is a header row ticked when your sheet starts with column names, or untick it for raw sheets. Then check the row and column counts, read through the pretty-printed JSON in the output box, and press Download .json. The file keeps the workbook’s name, so customers.xlsx becomes customers.json.

Your spreadsheet never leaves your device

The conversion runs locally in your browser: your files are converted on your own machine and never uploaded to any server. Nothing is transmitted, stored or logged while you work, which matters because spreadsheets are exactly where sensitive data tends to sit — customer lists, prices, grades, payroll details and internal reports. A server-based converter would ask you to hand that file to a stranger’s computer and trust their delete button. Here there is nothing to trust: the workbook is opened by a spreadsheet library running in this page, on your device, and closing the tab ends everything.

Header rows, sheets and how the JSON is shaped

With the header option on, the first row becomes the keys of every object and each following row becomes one object in a JSON array: a sheet with columns name, age, city produces entries like {"name": "Ana", "age": 30, "city": "Madrid"}. Numbers stay numbers and text stays text, so the output drops straight into JavaScript, Python and most import tools without cleanup. With the option off, you get an array of arrays instead — every row, header included, as a plain list of values, which suits sheets without headers and data pipelines that prefer positions over names. Empty cells become empty strings so every object keeps the same keys. Dates stored as real Excel dates are exported in their serial-based display form by the reader, so for date-heavy sheets it is worth formatting those cells as text in Excel first if you need exact date strings.

Limits and practical tips

Files up to 10 MB convert comfortably, which covers most everyday workbooks with tens of thousands of rows. Formulas are exported as their last calculated values, not as formula text, because JSON has no place to put a formula. Merged cells only carry their value in the top-left cell of the merge, so unmerge before converting if every row needs the value repeated. Very wide sheets and sheets with thousands of columns work, but the JSON grows quickly — JSON repeats every key on every row, so a big workbook can produce a file several times the size of the original.

XLSX to JSON Converter – frequently asked questions

Is this XLSX to JSON converter free?

Yes. It is completely free, needs no sign-up, and you can convert as many workbooks as you like, one sheet at a time.

Can I convert a specific sheet instead of the first one?

Yes. When a workbook contains more than one sheet, a sheet picker appears above the output. Choose any sheet and the JSON updates immediately.

What happens if my sheet has no header row?

Untick “First row is a header row” and the converter returns an array of arrays instead, with every row — including the first — exported as plain values in order.

Is my Excel file uploaded to a server?

No. The files are converted locally in your browser and never uploaded, so your spreadsheet stays on your device from start to finish.

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