Guide
How to convert JSON to Excel (with nested data)
Need a JSON export from an API or app in a spreadsheet? Convert JSON to Excel with Power Query or in the browser — nested fields included.
Updated 4 October 2026 2 min read
APIs, apps and developer tools export data as JSON — perfect for programs, awkward for people. To sort, filter or chart it, you want rows and columns. The challenge is nested data: an order with a customer, an address and a list of items doesn't fit in a flat table by itself.
Option 1 — Power Query in Excel for Windows
- Choose Data → Get Data → From File → From JSON and select the file.
- In the Power Query editor, click To Table, then the expand icon on the column header.
- Expand nested records one level at a time, then Close & Load.
Powerful and repeatable, but it takes a few clicks per nested level.
Option 2 — Convert in the browser, nested fields flattened
A converter that flattens nested objects automatically gives you one column per field — customer.name, address.city — with lists kept as text so no data is dropped. It accepts a JSON array, an object that wraps one (like {"data": [...]}) or JSON Lines.
Then open the CSV in Excel — or turn it into a proper .xlsx file:
Before you convert
- European Excel? Choose a semicolon as the separator so the file opens straight into columns, with decimal commas.
- Sensitive data? API exports often contain emails and customer details. Converting in the browser keeps them on your computer.
Frequently asked questions
What happens to nested objects?
They are flattened into columns with dotted names, such as address.city. Lists are usually kept as text in one cell so nothing is lost.
What is JSON Lines?
A format with one JSON object per line, common in logs and data exports. Good converters accept it as well as a regular JSON array.
Can I convert Excel back to JSON?
Save the sheet as CSV first, then use a CSV-to-JSON converter, which keeps numbers as numbers and text as text.