How to Open JSON in Excel Without Power Query

If you have ever tried opening a raw .json file in Microsoft Excel, you have likely encountered the built-in Power Query pipeline (Data → Get Data → From File → From JSON).

While Power Query is a powerful engine for recurring enterprise data modeling, using it for everyday tasks is notoriously frustrating. You have to click through multiple modal windows, manually expand records, configure list transformations, and debug data type conversions—all just to view a simple API response.

Why Power Query is Often Overkill

• Too Many Steps: Requires 6 to 10 distinct clicks and navigations just to load a table.
• Fails on Nested Arrays: Often dumps nested records as [Record] or [List] placeholders, requiring manual column expansion clicks.
• Platform Inconsistencies: Power Query functionality on Excel for Mac is significantly more limited than on Windows.

Method 1: Instant In-Browser Converter (Recommended)

The fastest and most private alternative is using a client-side conversion tool like JSON to Excel.

1. Drag your .json file into the dropzone.
2. The in-browser engine automatically unpacks nested records and calculates optimal column widths.
3. Click Download Excel (.xlsx) to get an authentic spreadsheet with frozen headers.

Total time: 3 seconds. Zero Power Query configuration needed, and zero data leaves your machine.

Method 2: Command-Line CLI Tools (jq + python)

For developers who enjoy the terminal, you can convert JSON to CSV using Python's pandas library:

python3 -c "import pandas as pd; pd.read_json('data.json').to_excel('output.xlsx')"
      

While functional, this approach requires installing Python, openpyxl, and pandas, which may not be feasible on locked-down corporate machines.