Overview
The converter scans every object in `json` and collects the union of their keys in order of first appearance. That list becomes `columns`, so the column order follows the first object that introduced each key. Each object is then written as one row in that column order; a key that is missing, `null` or `undefined` produces an empty cell. Rows are joined with `\n` line endings.
Values are converted with JavaScript string conversion. Numbers and booleans come out as written, an array becomes its items joined by commas, and a nested object becomes the literal text `[object Object]`, so flatten nested structures before sending them. A value is wrapped in double quotes when it contains the `delimiter`, a double quote, a newline or a carriage return, and embedded quotes are doubled, following the usual CSV convention.
`delimiter` defaults to a comma. `include_header` defaults to true; set it to false to get data rows only, while `columns` and `column_count` are still returned. `row_count` is the number of objects in the array. The request must carry a `Content-Length` header and the body may not exceed 512,000 bytes; larger bodies get a 413. An empty array is rejected as a missing parameter.
Live Test Convert JSON to CSV Source →
Formula
One function covers the whole catalog: the first argument names the source, the next are its inputs, and the field after them says which single value lands in the cell. Formulas covers the grammar that applies to all of them.
=VERVE("jsontocsv", A2, "row_count")=VERVE.CALL("jsontocsv", A2, "row_count")A2 holds the json you are looking up. Drag the formula down and each row resolves on its own.
With literal values
Nothing has to come from a cell — typed values work the same way.
=VERVE("jsontocsv", "[{""name"":""John"",""age"":30},{""name"":""Jane"",""age"":25}]", "row_count")=VERVE.CALL("jsontocsv", "[{""name"":""John"",""age"":30},{""name"":""Jane"",""age"":25}]", "row_count")Inputs
Required inputs are positional, in the order below, followed by the field. Everything else is passed as a "name", value pair after that — the same shape as SUMIFS. Premium inputs are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.
| Input | Type | Where it goes | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
jsonRequired | array | argument 2 (A2) | The JSON array to convert to CSV (must be array of objects) |
delimiterOptional | string | "delimiter", value | The delimiter to use in the CSV,;\t|default , |
include_headerOptional | boolean | "include_header", value | Whether to include column headers in the output (default: true) default true |
Passing an option
=VERVE("jsontocsv", A2, "row_count", "delimiter", ",")=VERVE.CALL("jsontocsv", A2, "row_count", "delimiter", ",")What lands in your sheet
The field — the argument after the inputs — is what makes the formula resolve to one cell. Its value is a dot-path from the table below, so swapping it is how you pull a different value — one formula per column.
Seeing everything at once
Leave the field out and the formula returns the whole response instead: two columns, field name on the left and value on the right, spilling from the cell you typed in.
=VERVE("jsontocsv", A2)=VERVE.CALL("jsontocsv", A2)The second row's table would land on top of the first's, and every cell after the first reads #REF! (#SPILL! in Excel). Keep one per sheet, or name a field, and leave the cells below and to the right empty.
Response fields
Paths are relative to data. Each one is exactly what the field argument accepts, so swapping it is how you pull a different value into a cell. On a plan without a Premium field the cell reads #PREMIUM(field) rather than a value, so a locked field never looks like a real answer.
| Use as the field | Type | Example cell value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
row_count | number | 2 | Total number of data rows in the converted CSV output |
column_count | number | 3 | Total number of columns extracted from JSON object keys |
columns | array | ["name","age","city"] | Array of column header names extracted from JSON data |
csv | string | name,age,city
John Doe,30,New York
Jane Smith,25,Los Angeles | Formatted CSV content with headers and data rows combined |
Filling a whole column
Both platforms make one batched call for a column rather than one request per cell, and both cost the same — 1 credit per row looked up. How you write it differs, because the two runtimes batch at different points.
=VERVE("jsontocsv", A2:A100, "row_count")In Google Sheets, give the arguments ranges and the answers spill down from the cell you typed in. Custom functions there run synchronously and in isolation, so dragged cells cannot be coalesced — the range form is how a column becomes one call. The field is required here: a per-row two-column table has nowhere to spill. Use a full column per input (A2:A100, not A2) — a single-cell reference is read as row 1 only and the rest of the column comes back blank.
In Excel, type the formula once and fill down — no range form and none needed, because its runtime is asynchronous and the add-in coalesces the calls a fill produces into a single batched request. Do not hand VERVE.CALL a range: Excel flattens it into positional arguments, so A2:A100 arrives as a hundred separate arguments and the cell reads #ERR rather than filling.
Either way, column A holds your json values and the answers land beside them, one row each, blank rows skipped.
When a cell doesn't fill
A failed lookup returns readable text starting with #ERR rather than a spreadsheet error, because Excel cannot show a custom message on a real error — you would get a bare #VALUE! with no reason. The trade-off is that IFERROR() will not catch it; test with LEFT(cell, 4) = "#ERR" instead. Error handling covers the rest.
| Cell reads | What happened |
|---|---|
#ERR Not connected | No API key saved. Open the side panel and connect your account. |
#ERR Replace <name> with a cell or value | A preview formula was copied as-is. Swap the placeholder for a cell reference. |
#ERR No "x" in jsontocsv | An option name this source does not take. The message lists the ones it does. |
#ERR No data point "…" | The field path is not in the response. Check it against the table above. |
#PREMIUM(field) | The field exists but your plan does not include it. |
#ERR Out of credits | The cycle's credits are spent. Usage resets on your billing date. |
Before the formula works
The add-in reads the API key you saved once in the side panel — the key never goes in the formula, so a shared sheet does not leak it and a collaborator without access simply sees the last calculated values.
- Install the add-in for Google Sheets or Excel.
- Open the side panel and sign in, or paste a key from your dashboard.
- Type the formula above into any cell.
Use cases
- Data Export
- Convert API JSON responses to CSV format for importing into Excel, Google Sheets, or databases
- Report Generation
- Transform JSON data into CSV reports for business intelligence tools and data analysis
- Legacy System Integration
- Convert modern JSON APIs to CSV format for compatibility with legacy systems
- Data Backup
- Export JSON datasets to CSV format for archival and backup purposes
Other ways to use Convert JSON to CSV
Set up Convert JSON to CSV on VerveSheets, or reach the same source a different way. Your VerveSheets account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.
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