Parse JSON in Power Automate

Understanding how to parse JSON in Power Automate is essential for working with APIs, webhooks, and dynamic data. JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is the standard format used by most external services to transmit structured data. Parsing this data allows your flow to access and manipulate it effectively.

In this guide, you’ll learn what parsing JSON is, how to set it up in Power Automate, and how to use it to power intelligent automation.

📑 Table of Contents

• What Does “Parse JSON” Mean in Power Automate?
• Why You Need to Parse JSON in Power Automate
• Where JSON Data Comes From
• Step-by-Step: How to Parse JSON in Power Automate
• JSON Schema Explained
• Real-World Use Cases
• Expressions with Parse JSON
• Best Practices
• Common Pitfalls
• Summary

❓ What Does “Parse JSON” Mean in Power Automate?

When a flow receives a JSON object (usually from an HTTP action or trigger), it’s unstructured until parsed. The “Parse JSON” action tells Power Automate what the data looks like, so it can be accessed using dynamic fields or expressions.

In short:
Parsing JSON transforms raw data into usable tokens in your flow.

🤔 Why You Need to Parse JSON in Power Automate

You must parse JSON in Power Automate whenever you:

• Retrieve data from an API
• Process responses from connectors like HTTP, Outlook, SharePoint, or Power Apps
• Handle webhooks
• Need to access nested objects or arrays
• Prevent dynamic content from being blank or inaccessible

Without parsing, your flow can’t properly “understand” the response.

🌐 Where JSON Data Comes From

You might get JSON from:

⚙️ Step-by-Step: How to Parse JSON in Power Automate

🔹 Step 1: Add the Action “Parse JSON”

• Go to New Step → Data Operations → Parse JSON
• In Content, select the output that contains JSON (e.g., HTTP body)

🔹 Step 2: Generate a Schema

Click “Generate from sample” and paste a real JSON sample response.

Example JSON:

{
  "id": "abc123",
  "name": "Jane Doe",
  "email": "jane@example.com"
}

Power Automate will automatically create a schema based on this structure.

🔹 Step 3: Use Parsed Data

After parsing, each field becomes available as dynamic content. You can reference them directly, such as:

• name
• email
• id

Or in expressions:

body('Parse_JSON')?['email']

🧬 JSON Schema Explained

The schema tells Power Automate what kind of data to expect.

Example schema:

{
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "id": { "type": "string" },
    "name": { "type": "string" },
    "email": { "type": "string" }
  }
}

Advanced tip: Use https://jsonschema.net to build schemas manually if needed.

💼 Real-World Use Cases

🧪 Expressions with Parse JSON in Power Automate

Once the JSON is parsed, you can use expressions like:

Use Apply to each for arrays:

Apply to each: body('Parse_JSON')?['items']

✅ Best Practices for Using Parse JSON in Power Automate

• ✅ Use real sample data to generate schemas
• ✅ Avoid overcomplicated schemas — only parse what you need
• ✅ Always wrap fields with coalesce() or empty() if optional
• ✅ Store parsed data in Compose actions if reused
• ✅ Use scopes to organize parsing and error handling

⚠️ Common Pitfalls to Avoid

📘 Summary: Mastering Parse JSON in Power Automate

Knowing how to parse JSON in Power Automate opens the door to advanced automation with APIs, webhooks, and custom data.

You’ve learned:

• What the Parse JSON action does
• How to generate a schema
• Real-world use cases and best practices
• Common mistakes to watch out for

By mastering JSON parsing, you gain full control over dynamic data — no matter how complex the structure.