JSON to PHP Array

Convert JSON into a PHP array using short-array syntax — in your browser.

JSON

or drop a file here

PHP array

$data = [
    'name' => 'Ada',
    'active' => true,
    'roles' => [
        'admin',
        'editor',
    ],
    'profile' => [
        'age' => 36,
        'city' => 'London',
    ],
];

JSON to PHP arrays

This converts a JSON document into a PHP value using modern short-array syntax ([ ]): JSON objects become associative arrays ('key' => value) and JSON arrays become list arrays. It's handy for seeding config or fixtures from an API response. Parsing happens entirely in your browser.

Related: the JSON formatter, the JSON to TypeScript generator, and the JSON to YAML converter.

Built and maintained by Meet Shah · Last updated 30 July 2026

What this tool is used for

Pasting an API response into a PHP script as an array literal for a quick test.
Producing a fixture array for a test without loading a file.
Converting a config sample into a PHP default value.
Turning a payload into short-array syntax for a code review.
Checking how JSON null and booleans map into PHP.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why not just call json_decode?: Use it for data at runtime — always. This produces a literal to paste into source: a config file, a test fixture, a database seeder. The difference is when parsing happens, and a literal in the file means no parse at all and no malformed string failing at boot.
Why the short array syntax?: `[...]` has been valid since PHP 5.4 and is what every current style guide uses; `array(...)` is the older spelling of exactly the same thing. There is no behavioural difference — the short form is simply what a modern codebase reads like.
How do JSON objects and arrays both become arrays?: Because PHP has one array type doing both jobs — an ordered map. A JSON object becomes a string-keyed array with `=>` arrows and a JSON array becomes a list with implicit integer keys. It is also why `json_decode` needs a second argument to say which you wanted back.
How are strings quoted?: Single quotes, with backslashes doubled and apostrophes escaped. Single quotes are deliberate: PHP does not interpolate variables inside them, so a value containing `$name` stays literal instead of being substituted with whatever happens to be in scope.
What about a trailing comma on the last element?: It is included, and it has been valid PHP in arrays for a very long time. It keeps a diff to one line when an element is appended, which is why most style guides now require it rather than merely permitting it.

Common errors and gotchas

Forgetting that PHP arrays conflate lists and maps, so a JSON array and object can look alike in the output.
Overlooking that JSON `null` becomes PHP `null`, which behaves differently from an empty string in comparisons.
Losing large integer precision, which was already lost if the JSON came from JavaScript.
Producing a literal so large it belongs in a file rather than in source.
Assuming numeric string keys stay strings, when PHP casts them to integers.