Find an “Unexpected Token” JSON Error

What the error actually means

Unexpected token is a general parser message: the parser found a character that cannot appear at the current position. The character named in the error is often where parsing finally failed, not where the original mistake began.

Likely causes

• A property name or string uses single quotes instead of double quotes.
• A trailing comma appears before a closing bracket or brace.
• A quote or closing brace is missing earlier in the document.
• The input is JavaScript, NDJSON, or a server error page rather than one JSON value.

A safe repair workflow

1. 1Paste or load the exact response body into the JSON validator.
2. 2Go to the reported line and column, then inspect the preceding structure as well.
3. 3Correct one syntax error at a time and validate again.
4. 4Only convert or minify the document after it validates as one complete JSON value.

How to verify the result

A file that downloads successfully is not automatically a correct file. Check the result at both the structural and business-data levels:

• Validation completes without a syntax error.
• Strings and property names use double quotes.
• Array and object delimiters are balanced.
• The root type is what the consuming tool expects.