JSONDecodeError: Invalid JSON

Why This Happens

json.loads() strictly follows the JSON specification. Python uses True/False but JSON uses true/false. Python allows single quotes but JSON requires double quotes.

The Problem

import json
data = json.loads('')
data = json.loads("{'name': 'Alice'}")

The Fix

import json
raw = get_response()
if raw:
    data = json.loads(raw)

# Use double quotes:
data = json.loads('{"name": "Alice"}')

Step-by-Step Fix

1. 1

   Inspect the raw string

   Print the string before parsing to see its actual content.

2. 2

   Check for empty responses

   Add 'if response.text:' before parsing.

3. 3

   Use json.dumps() for Python objects

   Convert Python dicts to JSON with json.dumps().