---
title: "Import data from JSON files"
description: "Load structured data from JSON files into Pixeltable tables for processing and analysis."
url: "https://www.pixeltable.com/notebooks/data-import-json"
updated: "2026-04-10"
---

# Import data from JSON files

Load structured data from JSON files into Pixeltable tables for processing and analysis.

- **Type:** Notebook
- **Group:** Data Import/Export

## How it works

You use pxt.create_table() with a source parameter to create a table from a JSON file or URL. The JSON must be an array of objects, where each object becomes a row.

## What it covers

- Import JSON files directly into tables
- Import from URLs (APIs, remote files)
- Handle nested JSON structures

## What it uses

- **Install:** `pip install pixeltable`
- **Pixeltable calls:** `pxt.create_table()`, `add_computed_column()`

## A look at the code

```python
# Add a computed column combining title and author
articles.add_computed_column(
    summary=articles.title + ' by ' + articles.author
)
```

## Open it

- **Open in Colab:** https://colab.research.google.com/github/pixeltable/pixeltable/blob/release/docs/release/howto/cookbooks/data/data-import-json.ipynb
- **Docs page:** https://docs.pixeltable.com/howto/cookbooks/data/data-import-json
- **Source on GitHub:** https://github.com/pixeltable/pixeltable/blob/release/docs/release/howto/cookbooks/data/data-import-json.ipynb