Rendering a JSON file as a mind map

Transform complex JSON data into clear, interactive mind maps with JSON Crack. Discover how this powerful tool simplifies data visualization and enhances data understanding.

January 18, 2024 · 2 min read

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Christophe

Markdown, WSL and Docker lover ~ Insatiable curious.

Cet article existe aussi en français — lire la version française.

This article is over a year old but was reviewed on July 30, 2026 — the content is still accurate.

This article is part of the Diagrams as code series:

Rendering a JSON file as a mind map

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TL;DR

This article presents JSON Crack, a free online tool that renders JSON content as an interactive mind map/diagram instead of raw nested text, making complex structures much easier to read at a glance. It shows two example JSON files rendered as visual trees and mentions the free version's line-count limitation along with a VSCode extension alternative.

https://jsoncrack.com/editor

I really like the idea of not having to draw (actually, that is just because I am really bad at it) a diagram, a flow chart, a graphic representation of something that ... can be written.

JSON Crack is one of the tools in my toolkit when I want to draw something that can be written in JSON. It sits next to Markmap (same idea, but from Markdown) and the diagram-as-code tools in general.

When you just need to read the JSON rather than visualize it, JSON - Online linter and jq do the job.

Let's take an example found randomly on the net superheroes. How can we represent Spider-Man as a JSON object? Below an attempt:

{
  "superhero": "Spider-Man",
  "realName": "Peter Parker",
  "abilities": [
    "Wall-Crawling",
    "Spider-Sense",
    "Super Strength"
  ],
  "equipment": {
    "webShooters": "True",
    "spiderTracers": "True"
  }
}

This is a JSON object that stores information about Spider-Man, including his real name, a list of his superhuman abilities, and details about his equipment. It's the kind of data structure you'd use to represent a character profile in an application.

Isn't it nicer in visual form?

JSON Crack

Another example (found here):

{
  "squadName": "Super hero squad",
  "homeTown": "Metro City",
  "formed": 2016,
  "secretBase": "Super tower",
  "active": true,
  "members": [
    {
      "name": "Molecule Man",
      "age": 29,
      "secretIdentity": "Dan Jukes",
      "powers": ["Radiation resistance", "Turning tiny", "Radiation blast"]
    },
    {
      "name": "Madame Uppercut",
      "age": 39,
      "secretIdentity": "Jane Wilson",
      "powers": [
        "Million tonne punch",
        "Damage resistance",
        "Superhuman reflexes"
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Eternal Flame",
      "age": 1000000,
      "secretIdentity": "Unknown",
      "powers": [
        "Immortality",
        "Heat Immunity",
        "Inferno",
        "Teleportation",
        "Interdimensional travel"
      ]
    }
  ]
}

This is a JSON object describing a superhero team called the Super hero squad, including basic information about the organization like when it was formed and where it's based, plus a detailed list of three member heroes with their personal details and special abilities.

Super hero squad

The advantage of the image is that it is much clearer: we can see straight away that the squad is made up of three members and that the strongest (and oldest) is Eternal Flame, who has five powers.

Note

JSON Crack has some limitations for the free version like the number of lines in your JSON content. You can also install an add-on for vscode.

Other JSON tools worth knowing about: generating fake JSON data and linting/validating your JSON files.

This article is part of the Diagrams as code series: