tools / json / jmespath / minify json (smallest valid output)
json query · jmespath

Minify JSON for size

Strip all unnecessary whitespace from JSON for transport / storage. 30-50% size reduction typical. The output is still valid JSON; receivers parse identically.

beginner jmespath / aws cli

The query

{
  "name": "voiddo",
  "items": [
    {"id": 1},
    {"id": 2}
  ]
}

Pass / fail

InputResult
After minify: {"name":"voiddo","items":[{"id":1},{"id":2}]}passes
Bytes: 100 → 48 (52% reduction)passes
Removing whitespace inside string values (corrupts data)fails
Removing escape sequences (corrupts data)fails

Edge cases & caveats

Minification only removes whitespace OUTSIDE string values. Whitespace inside strings is preserved. Tools sometimes also drop trailing newline — be aware if downstream tooling requires one.

Common use cases

Run JMESPath against piped JSON
jsonyo is the CLI twin of the jsonyo browser extension — validate against schemas, format, run JMESPath queries against piped JSON. Zero deps.
Open jsonyo  

Related

build a flat list from multiple fields · filter an array by condition · jmespath vs jq: which json query language? · built-in functions cheatsheet