> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.firebolt.io/llms.txt
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<AgentInstructions>

## Submitting Feedback

If you encounter incorrect, outdated, or confusing documentation on this page, submit feedback:

POST https://docs.firebolt.io/feedback

```json
{
  "path": "/reference-sql/functions-reference/json/to-json",
  "feedback": "Description of the issue"
}
```

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</AgentInstructions>

> Reference material for the TO_JSON function

# TO_JSON

Converts arbitrary values to `JSON` values, without parsing any JSON strings in the input. Arrays and structs are converted recursively into JSON arrays and JSON objects, respectively. Scalar values other than `BOOLEAN`, `INTEGER`, `BIGINT`, `REAL`, `DOUBLE`, or `TEXT` are converted to `TEXT` using the regular `CAST` function.

## Syntax

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
TO_JSON(<value>)
```

## Parameters

| Parameter | Description                                 | Supported Input Types |
| :-------- | :------------------------------------------ | :-------------------- |
| `<value>` | The value that should be converted to JSON. | Any                   |

## Return Type

`JSON`

* If `<value>` is `NULL` the return value is SQL `NULL`.
* If `<value>` is an array or struct containing nested SQL `NULL` values, these nested SQL `NULL`s are converted to JSON `null`s.

## Examples

**Example**

The following query converts a `STRUCT` value containing nested `STRUCT`, `ARRAY`, and scalar values to JSON. All of the scalar data types involved are natively representable in JSON.

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
SELECT TO_JSON({'a':[{'b':{'message':'hello world!','42':'the answer'}}]});
```

Returns:

| ?column? (JSON)                                              |
| :----------------------------------------------------------- |
| `{"a":[{"b":{"42":"the answer","message":"hello world!"}}]}` |

**Example**

The following query converts a `STRUCT` value containing nested `STRUCT`, `ARRAY`, and `NULL` values to JSON.

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
SELECT TO_JSON({'a':[{'b':{'message':NULL}}]});
```

Returns:

| ?column? (JSON)                  |
| :------------------------------- |
| `{"a":[{"b":{"message":null}}]}` |

**Example**

The following query converts a plain SQL `NULL` value to JSON. Since the value is not nested within an `ARRAY` or `STRUCT`, it remains a SQL `NULL` value.

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
SELECT TO_JSON(NULL);
```

Returns a SQL `NULL` value:

| ?column? (JSON) |
| :-------------- |
| NULL            |

**Example**

The following query converts a `TIMESTAMP` value to JSON. Since `TIMESTAMP` values are not natively representable in JSON, they are converted to `TEXT` and represented as JSON strings.

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
SELECT TO_JSON('2026-01-01T00:00:00'::TIMESTAMP);
```

Returns:

| ?column? (JSON)         |
| :---------------------- |
| `"2026-01-01 00:00:00"` |

**Example**

The following query converts a `TEXT` value containing valid JSON data to JSON. Note that the return value simply consists of a single JSON string though, i.e. the `TO_JSON` function does not parse JSON data contained in strings.

```sql theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
SELECT TO_JSON('{"a":"b"}');
```

Returns:

| ?column? (JSON)   |
| :---------------- |
| `"{\"a\":\"b\"}"` |