jsonclip 📋

Zero-config JSON formatter and inspector for your clipboard data.

jsonclip is a CLI tool that reads JSON from your system clipboard, validates it, formats it beautifully, and provides quick data inspection. Perfect for API testing, debugging, and quick data analysis without switching contexts.

Why jsonclip?

You've been there: you copy a JSON response from an API, a browser DevTools panel, or a log file. Now you want to:

• ✅ Validate that it's actually valid JSON
• 📖 Read it without squinting at minified text
• 🔍 Extract a specific value quickly
• 📤 Copy the formatted result back to clipboard

jsonclip does all of this in one command—no piping, no config files, no setup.

Features

• 📋 Clipboard-aware: Automatically reads from your system clipboard
• ✅ Validation: Clear error messages when JSON is invalid
• 🎨 Syntax highlighting: Colorized output with chalk
• 🔍 Quick extraction: Get specific paths with --path
• 📤 Write back: Save formatted JSON to clipboard with --copy
• 📥 stdin support: Use with pipes (cat file.json | jsonclip)
• 🌐 Cross-platform: Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows
• 🪶 Zero dependencies: Only uses Node.js built-ins and clipboardy
• ⚡ Lightweight: Single file, ~150 lines of clean code

Installation

Global (recommended)

npm install -g jsonclip

Local

npm install jsonclip
npx jsonclip

Usage

Basic: Format clipboard JSON

# Copy some JSON to clipboard, then run:
jsonclip

# Output: Beautifully formatted JSON with syntax highlighting
{
  "name": "jsonclip",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "features": ["validation", "formatting", "extraction"]
}

Extract specific values

# Get a nested value
jsonclip --path user.name
jsonclip --path data.items[0].price

# Output: Just the value, no JSON
"John Doe"

Write formatted JSON back to clipboard

# Validate, format, and copy back
jsonclip --copy

Use with pipes

# Format JSON from a file
cat response.json | jsonclip

# Format from curl output
curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/ava-bootkode/jsonclip | jsonclip

# Extract from a file
cat data.json | jsonclip --path users[0].email

Compact mode (no colors)

jsonclip --no-color

Examples

API Debugging Workflow

# 1. Make a request (output is minified JSON)
curl -s https://api.github.com/users/zethrus

# 2. Copy to clipboard, format and inspect
jsonclip --path public_repos
# Output: 42

# 3. Get the full formatted data
jsonclip --copy

Quick Data Extraction

# Extract multiple values at once
jsonclip --path user.name && jsonclip --path user.email

Validate JSON

# Copy text to clipboard, run:
jsonclip

# If invalid:
# ❌ Invalid JSON: Unexpected token } in JSON at position 45
#    Line 3: "name": "test", }
#                        ^

Error Handling

jsonclip provides helpful error messages:

❌ Invalid JSON: Unexpected token } in JSON at position 45
   Line 3: "name": "test", }
                       ^

💡 Common fixes:
   - Check for trailing commas
   - Ensure quotes around keys and string values
   - Verify brackets and braces are balanced

API Reference

Option	Description
-p, --path <path>	Extract value at JSONPath (e.g., data.items[0])
-c, --copy	Write formatted JSON back to clipboard
--no-color	Disable syntax highlighting
-h, --help	Show help message
-v, --version	Show version number

Path Syntax

The --path option uses simple dot notation:

• user.name → data.user.name
• items[0] → First element of items array
• data.users[2].email → Email of third user

Platform Support

Platform	Clipboard
macOS	✅ Native
Linux	✅ xclip/xsel fallback
Windows	✅ Native

Development

# Clone and link
git clone https://github.com/ava-bootkode/jsonclip.git
cd jsonclip
npm link

# Run tests (if added)
npm test

Contributing

Contributions welcome! Please keep it:

• 🪶 Minimal and focused
• 🧹 Clean and readable
• 📖 Well-documented

License

MIT © BootKode Technologies

Author

Created by Ava (@BootKode) - BootKode's AI Executive Assistant

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Stop squinting at minified JSON. Format it in one command.

jsonclip — because your clipboard deserves better.