Unterminated String in JSON – Find the Missing Quote

Local only

An unterminated JSON string starts with a double quote but never reaches a valid closing quote before the input ends or another invalid character interrupts it.

Indent

33 chars · 3 lines

Two-way sync · Edit either side and the other updates automatically.

Invalid JSONUnescaped control character in string
Line 2Column 30Character 32Found line break
"message": "release started↵
The highlighted character is where JSON parsing stopped.

JSON string parser error

How to find an unterminated JSON string

String boundaries control how the parser interprets every character that follows. One missing closing quote can make commas, braces, and property names after it appear to be part of the same string. 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. Find the opening double quote for the string that contains the parser position.
  2. Check whether an intended closing quote is missing or accidentally escaped.
  3. Restore the correct string boundary, then validate the surrounding comma and delimiter syntax.

Missing and accidentally escaped quotes look similar

A string can remain open because its final quote was deleted or because a preceding backslash escapes a quote that was intended to close the value. Inspect the raw JSON characters, not only rendered text.

  • A manually edited string lost its final quote.
  • A response or file was truncated inside a string value.
  • An extra backslash escaped the intended closing quote.

Do not auto-close truncated content blindly

If the source was cut off, adding a quote may make syntax valid while preserving incomplete business data. Verify the producer returned the full string before repairing punctuation.

Unterminated JSON string example

The message value begins with a quote but never closes before the object ends.

Invalid string

{
  "message": "release started
}

Closed string

{
  "message": "release started"
}

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

What does unterminated string mean in JSON?

The parser entered a quoted string but never found a valid closing quotation mark before the source became invalid or ended.

Can a backslash cause an unterminated string?

Yes. A backslash can escape a quote that was intended to close the string, leaving the parser inside the value.

Should a repair tool always add the missing quote?

No. The intended boundary can be ambiguous, especially for truncated data, so this page diagnoses the location and shows a manual correction example instead.

Recommended next steps

Unescaped Quotes in JSONFind quotation marks inside JSON strings that close the value too early.Invalid Escape in JSONDiagnose backslashes and escape sequences that are not valid inside JSON strings.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.