Developer guide

How to compare two JSON API responses

A side-by-side JSON comparison makes a changed API response easier to diagnose than scanning two long payloads.

Capture comparable responses

1. Call the same endpoint with the same method, parameters, headers, and environment before and after the change.
2. Copy the JSON response bodies. Remove secrets and unrelated personal data before sharing a result with anyone.
3. Paste the earlier response into Before and the newer one into After, then select Compare.

If the server includes volatile fields such as request IDs or timestamps, set them aside so the meaningful differences stand out.

Read the changed paths

The comparison reports added and removed values at their JSON paths. A field changing from "pending" to "complete" appears as a removal and an addition at the same path. Missing keys appear on one side only.

Before: {"order":{"status":"pending","total":24}}
After:  {"order":{"status":"complete","total":24}}

order.status: − "pending"
order.status: + "complete"

Watch for array order

Payload Haven compares arrays by position. If items are reordered, several paths can look changed even when the same items remain. For collections with stable IDs, first align items by ID in your own workflow, then compare. Object key order does not count as a change.

The comparison runs in your browser; pasted response bodies are not sent to this site's server.