# JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, text-based data interchange format that is easy for humans to read and write, and easy for machines to parse and generate. Although derived from JavaScript object syntax, JSON is language-independent and supported by virtually all modern programming languages. JSON represents data as key-value pairs (objects) and ordered lists (arrays). Supported data types include strings, numbers, booleans, null, objects, and arrays. Its simplicity and readability have made it the dominant format for API request and response bodies, configuration files, and data storage in document databases. In API development, JSON is the standard payload format for REST and GraphQL APIs. API gateways frequently work with JSON data for request validation (checking that incoming payloads match expected schemas), response transformation (reshaping data before returning it to clients), and logging. Many API specification formats, including OpenAPI, can be written in JSON. Serverless function inputs and outputs are also typically JSON-encoded. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.serverlessapigateway.com/glossary/j/json-javascript-object-notation.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.