JSON to PHP Array Converter Online Free

php

JSON to PHP Array — convert JSON to a PHP array literal error runs in your browser · nothing uploaded

Indent

⌃⏎ run · ⎋ clear · / focus input

JSON ⇅ upload

⇅ drop a file to load it

PHP ARRAY

send output to

no matches

Handles pastes up to ~5MB smoothly in your browser — bigger files still work, just budget a second or two.

JSON to PHP Array Online

Updated 2026-07-09

Convert JSON into a PHP array online for free. Paste any JSON object or array and SnapTools turns it into clean PHP short-array syntax — associative arrays for objects, list arrays for arrays — indented to PSR-12 and ready to paste into your code. It all runs in your browser, so nothing is uploaded.

Hand-translating JSON into PHP means retyping every key, swapping colons for =>, and quoting strings correctly — easy to get wrong on a large payload. Drop the JSON here and get a valid PHP array literal in one step, whether you are building a config file, a seeder, or a test fixture.

// how to use

1 Paste a JSON object or array into the input panel.
2 SnapTools converts it to PHP short-array syntax as you type.
3 Copy the generated array or download it to paste straight into your PHP code.

// examples

Object to PHP array

Input

{"name":"Ada","age":36}

Output

[
    'name' => 'Ada',
    'age' => 36,
]

Array of values

Input

["red","green","blue"]

Output

[
    'red',
    'green',
    'blue',
]

// common uses

Turning a JSON fixture into a PHP config or seed array Migrating JSON data into a PHP codebase Building test fixtures from real JSON payloads Reading JSON structure in familiar PHP syntax

// faq

No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser, so your JSON never leaves your machine.

It outputs modern PHP short-array syntax with square brackets, which is the standard style on all supported PHP versions and required by most coding standards.

Nested JSON objects become nested associative arrays and JSON arrays become list arrays, indented consistently so the structure stays readable.

Four spaces per level, matching the PSR-12 convention used across the PHP ecosystem, so the output drops into most projects without reformatting.

Yes. The output is a valid PHP array literal — wrap it in `return [...]` for a config file, or assign it to a variable.

// related

JSON Formatter JSON Validator JSON to YAML JSON to TypeScript JSON to CSV

Use this via API

Get a free API key →

curl -X POST https://snaptools.dev/api/v1/tools/json-to-php-array \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"json":"{\"name\":\"Ada\",\"age\":36}"}'