Expected Colon After Property Name in JSON – Find the Error

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Every JSON object property uses a colon between its quoted name and value. If another token appears after the key, the parser reports that a colon was expected.

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36 chars · 4 lines

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Invalid JSONExpected ':' after property name
Line 2Column 10Character 12Found “"”
"name" "Ada",
The highlighted character is where JSON parsing stopped.

JSON property separator error

How to fix a missing colon after a JSON property name

A JSON object member always follows the pattern "key": value. When the parser finishes a quoted key and sees a value, comma, or other token instead of :, it cannot determine a valid member boundary. This tool is free to use. No account or payment is required.

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What you can do here

  • Browser-local JSON processing
  • Route-specific malformed JSON example
  • Focused parser or repair guidance
  • Broken and corrected JSON example
  • Related JSON problem navigation

Steps

  1. Locate the quoted property name immediately before the parser failure.
  2. Insert exactly one colon between the property name and its value when that is the intended structure.
  3. Validate again and inspect any later object errors separately.

A JSON property has three required parts

The key must be a double-quoted string, followed by a colon, followed by one valid JSON value. Whitespace is optional around the colon but the colon itself is mandatory.

  • A colon was deleted during manual editing.
  • A comma was typed where the colon belongs.
  • Copied pseudo-JSON uses a different key-value separator.

Confirm the value is valid after fixing the colon

Adding the separator only fixes the member boundary. The value still needs to be valid JSON, including quoted strings and properly nested arrays or objects.

Missing colon after property name example

The name key is quoted, but the string value begins without the required colon.

Invalid property

{
  "name" "Ada",
  "active": true
}

Valid property

{
  "name": "Ada",
  "active": true
}

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Can JSON use an equals sign instead of a colon?

No. Standard JSON object members require a colon between each property name and value.

Can whitespace replace the colon?

No. Whitespace may surround the colon but cannot replace it.

Why is the error reported at the value instead of the key?

The key may be valid by itself. The parser only knows the separator is missing when it reaches the next token where a colon should have appeared.

Recommended next steps

Missing Colon in JSONFind an object key whose property separator is missing or malformed.Expected Property Name in JSONFind object members whose property names are missing required double quotes or syntax.JSON Error Checker Online – Find Syntax ErrorsLocate parser failures with line, column, character position, and nearby source context.

Debugging a specific JSON issue? Browse JSON troubleshooting.