JSON (JavaScript Object Notation)
JSON — JavaScript Object Notation — is a text format for structured data, designed to be easy for both programs and people to read. It stores information as key-value pairs, like "followers": 12000, and it can nest data inside data: a profile object can contain a list of posts, each with its own fields. That nesting is what makes JSON powerful for developers.
JSON is the default language of APIs. When one program requests data from another over the web, the answer usually comes back as JSON. It is flexible and expressive — but it is not something you can double-click into a spreadsheet, and working with it comfortably assumes a bit of code. For a developer that is no obstacle; for everyone else it is friction.
That is the practical split between JSON and CSV. JSON suits developers wiring systems together and handling nested, complex data. CSV suits anyone who wants a flat table they can open, sort, and use right now. Same information, different audience — and many tools can convert between the two when you need to cross over.
How it relates to 1Scrape
Plenty of scraping tools and official APIs return JSON, which is great if you write code and awkward if you do not — you are left reshaping nested data before you can use it. 1Scrape takes the opposite stance: it does the structuring for you and hands back a flat CSV, so the output opens in a spreadsheet instead of a code editor. If your destination is a person and a spreadsheet rather than an application, that is the format you actually want.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between JSON and CSV?
JSON stores structured, nestable data as key-value pairs and is built for programs and APIs; CSV stores a flat table of rows and columns and is built for spreadsheets. JSON is more flexible; CSV is simpler and needs no code to use.
Does 1Scrape output JSON?
1Scrape delivers a clean CSV, chosen so anyone can use the data without code. It opens directly in Excel or Google Sheets and imports into a CRM or database in one step — no parsing, no reshaping.