Convert Excel Lists to JSON Arrays for API Requests

APIs expect JSON. Spreadsheets give you rows and columns. Here's how to bridge the gap.

Single Column to JSON Array

Input from Excel:

Output as JSON array:

["user@example.com", "admin@site.org", "test@domain.net"]

Paste this directly into Postman, curl, or your API client.

Multi-Column to JSON Objects

Paste a table with headers:

Output as array of objects:

[
  {"name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York"},
  {"name": "Jane", "age": 25, "city": "Boston"}
]

Headers become keys. Data types are detected automatically.

Use Cases

POST Request Body

fetch('https://api.example.com/users/batch', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
  body: JSON.stringify(userList)
});

Configuration Files

Convert settings from a spreadsheet:

{
  "allowedDomains": ["example.com", "test.org", "site.net"],
  "maxRetries": 3,
  "timeout": 5000
}

Mock Data for Testing

Generate test fixtures from your spreadsheet:

[
  {"id": 1, "sku": "PROD-001", "price": 29.99},
  {"id": 2, "sku": "PROD-002", "price": 39.99}
]

Data Type Handling

ClipboardTools detects types automatically:

• Numbers: 30 stays 30
• Strings: "John" gets quotes
• Booleans: true/false recognized

Use "Force Strings" if you need everything quoted.

JSON Arrays vs SQL IN Clauses

Use JSON arrays when:

• Calling REST APIs
• Creating config files
• Building JavaScript/TypeScript code
• Storing in NoSQL databases

Use SQL IN clauses when:

• Querying relational databases
• Building WHERE conditions
• Filtering with MySQL, PostgreSQL, etc.

Both formats start from the same spreadsheet data—just pick the output format you need.