How to open a .ndjson file
Quick, free ways to open NDJSON on any system.
A .ndjson file is a Newline-Delimited JSON. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads NDJSON yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.
Open a .ndjson file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .ndjson. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with VS Code or Python.
- On Mac, use VS Code or Python.
- On Linux, try VS Code or Python.
- Still stuck? Convert the .ndjson to JSON, which opens more widely.
Best apps to open .ndjson files
Windows
- VS Code
- Python
- jq
macOS
- VS Code
- Python
- jq
Linux
- VS Code
- Python
- jq
!
Before you open it: Safe. NDJSON is plain text data. It does not execute; only the program reading it decides what to do with each record.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I open my .ndjson file?
Almost always because no installed app understands NDJSON. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.
What is the difference between JSON and NDJSON?
A JSON file is one value that must be parsed whole. NDJSON is many JSON values, one per line, so it can be streamed and appended to.
How do I open an NDJSON file?
Any text editor shows it. To process it, read line by line and parse each line as JSON, or use jq with the --stream or -c options.