JSON Remove Keys

JSON Remove Keys / Filter

The JSON Remove Keys / Filter tool helps you strip unwanted fields or keep only selected keys from a JSON document. This is essential for privacy, security, and clean data exports. You can remove sensitive fields like tokens, passwords, or internal metadata, or create a minimal JSON object for downstream systems. Dot-path support makes it easy to target nested keys with precision. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Filtering JSON is common in API responses, data sharing, logging, and analytics. By removing unnecessary keys, you reduce payload size, protect sensitive information, and improve clarity. This tool lets you apply allowlists (keep only specified keys) or blocklists (remove specified keys) with consistent output.

What the tool does

• Remove keys by name or nested path.
• Keep only keys you specify (allowlist mode).
• Support nested objects using dot notation paths.
• Produce clean, valid JSON output.

How to use the filter

1. Paste JSON in the left editor.
2. Enter the keys you want to remove or keep.
3. Choose the filter mode (Remove or Keep).
4. Click Apply and copy the output.

Example: remove sensitive keys

Input JSON:

{
  "id": 7,
  "name": "Avi",
  "email": "avi@example.com",
  "password": "secret",
  "meta": { "ip": "10.0.0.1", "token": "abc123" }
}

Keys to remove:

password
meta.token

Output JSON:

{
  "id": 7,
  "name": "Avi",
  "email": "avi@example.com",
  "meta": { "ip": "10.0.0.1" }
}

Example: keep only specific keys

Input JSON:

{
  "id": 7,
  "name": "Avi",
  "email": "avi@example.com",
  "profile": { "role": "admin", "active": true }
}

Keys to keep:

id
profile.role

Output JSON:

{
  "id": 7,
  "profile": { "role": "admin" }
}

Common errors and fixes

• Invalid JSON: Filtering requires valid JSON. Use JSON Validator to fix syntax issues.
• Path not found: If a key path doesn’t exist, it is ignored. Verify the exact structure and key names.
• Unexpected empty output: If you use keep mode and list only keys that do not exist, the output may be empty. Adjust the allowlist.
• Array paths: Keys inside arrays may need index-based paths. Consider flattening the JSON first if needed.
• Over-filtering: Removing required keys can break downstream systems. Validate the output with JSON Schema Validator.

Best practices for JSON filtering

• Use keep mode for sharing data externally to minimize exposure.
• Use remove mode for cleaning sensitive fields before logging.
• Validate filtered output against a schema if needed.
• Combine with JSON Key Renamer to normalize fields.
• Use JSON Flatten for complex nested structures.

Security and privacy tips

When sharing JSON externally, prefer allowlists (keep mode) because they reduce the chance of accidentally leaking new fields. Many privacy incidents happen when a new field is added to an API but forgotten in a deny list. A keep-only list is more robust and easier to audit.

For logs, remove tokens, secrets, and PII before storing or shipping data. If you are unsure which fields are sensitive, start with a keep list of only safe fields, then add more as needed.

Filtering workflows

1. Identify sensitive or unnecessary keys.
2. Decide whether to remove or keep (allowlist vs blocklist).
3. Apply filter and validate output structure.
4. Document the filter rules for long-term maintenance.

Quick checklist

• Confirm the exact key paths you want to remove or keep.
• Test on a representative sample payload.
• Validate the output against your schema or contract.
• Share the sanitized JSON only after reviewing it.

Tips for large payloads

When filtering very large JSON objects, start by removing obvious high-volume sections such as logs, debug metadata, or nested arrays you do not need. This reduces output size and speeds up downstream processing. If you frequently filter the same payloads, save your key lists so you can reuse them without retyping.

Compliance use cases

If you handle regulated data (PII, PCI, HIPAA), filtering is often required before sharing logs or analytics. Use keep mode to ensure only approved fields are included. Keep your allowlist aligned with compliance policies and update it whenever new fields are added to your schema.

For audit trails, save the filter rules alongside your codebase so you can prove how data was sanitized if needed.

Many teams also create “safe views” of API responses by filtering out sensitive fields. This makes it easier to share sample payloads in documentation without exposing private data.

Use cases

Privacy: Remove PII like email or phone numbers before sharing data.

Logging: Strip sensitive tokens before sending logs to third-party services.

API responses: Return only the fields required by the client.

Data exports: Keep only the columns needed for analytics.

FAQs

Does this change my values?
No. It only removes or keeps keys; values are preserved.

Can I remove nested keys?
Yes. Use dot paths like user.profile.email.

Is my JSON uploaded?
No. All filtering happens locally in your browser.

What happens if I list a key that does not exist?
It is ignored; the output is still valid.

Can I filter arrays?
Yes, but array handling may require index-based paths.

What is the difference between keep and remove?
Keep mode outputs only listed keys; remove mode deletes listed keys.

Can I chain filters?
Yes. Apply one filter, then reuse the output for another pass.

Does it preserve order?
JSON objects are unordered, but key order is preserved as much as possible in the output.

Can I filter keys by pattern?
This tool uses explicit keys and paths. For pattern-based filtering, pre-process your JSON or use a script.

What if I need to keep nested fields only?
List the nested paths in keep mode. The tool will build the minimal structure required.

Can I filter data for analytics?
Yes. Keep only the fields needed for reporting to reduce dataset size.

How do I prevent accidental leaks?
Use keep mode and review the output with sample payloads before sharing.

Can I keep only a nested subset?
Yes. Provide nested paths in keep mode and the tool will reconstruct the minimal structure.

Does filtering affect arrays?
Arrays are preserved, but keys inside array objects can be removed if you target their paths.

Keyword‑targeted phrases

• remove json keys
• filter json fields
• json keep only keys
• json remove nested fields
• json filter online