> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://algolia.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# JSON

> Index your data from a JSON file you host.

export const Records = () => <Tooltip tip="A record is a searchable object in an Algolia index. Each record consists of named attributes." cta="Algolia records" href="/doc/guides/sending-and-managing-data/prepare-your-data#algolia-records">
    records
  </Tooltip>;

export const Index = () => <Tooltip tip="An Algolia index is a searchable dataset that consists of records and configuration settings. These settings define how the records are searched and ranked.">
    index
  </Tooltip>;

The JSON connector lets you read objects from a JSON file and store them in an Algolia <Index />.

The connector imports a single array of JSON objects as <Records />.
Each record must have a unique identifier to be used as the [object ID](/doc/guides/sending-and-managing-data/send-and-update-your-data#unique-object-identifiers) in Algolia.

In the following example, `userID` could serve as the object ID.

```json JSON icon=braces theme={"system"}
[
  {
    "userID": 1001,
    "firstName": "Marianne",
    "lastName": "Neal"
  },
  {
    "userID": 1002,
    "firstName": "Austin",
    "lastName": "Wolfe"
  }
]
```

## Configure your data source

1. Open the [**Connectors**](https://dashboard.algolia.com/connectors) page in the Algolia dashboard.

2. Select the JSON connector and click **Connect**.

3. Click **Get started**.

4. Select the authentication method:

   * **None** if the file is public.
   * **Basic Auth** if you need a username and password to access the file.

5. Enter the URL of your JSON file. The protocol can be one of: `http`, `https`, `ftp`, `ftps`, or `sftp`.
   For HTTP URLs, you can further select whether to fetch the JSON file with a GET or a POST request. This depends on your server.

6. In the **Unique property identifier** field, enter the property of your JSON objects that should serve as unique identifiers for your Algolia records (`objectID`).

7. Enter a name for the source. This helps you distinguish between different sources.

8. Click **Create source**.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/0u_XqgAn7MC5F_qG/images/guides/connectors/source.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=0u_XqgAn7MC5F_qG&q=85&s=39de45c585925db5eac7bd42806578d8" alt="Screenshot of a data source configuration form with fields for URL, authentication type, unique identifier, and name." width="991" height="773" data-path="images/guides/connectors/source.png" />

## Configure your destination

1. Create a new [Algolia API key](/doc/guides/security/api-keys)
   or select an existing one for indexing your data.
2. Enter an index name, where the connector should store the records.
   If you enter a name of an existing index, it'll be overwritten.
3. Enter a name for the destination. This helps you distinguish between different destinations.
4. Click **Create destination**.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/0u_XqgAn7MC5F_qG/images/guides/connectors/destination.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=0u_XqgAn7MC5F_qG&q=85&s=5f50c3f46be5f367393e2b63cdf54348" alt="Screenshot of a form with 'Algolia API Key - Product Connector' and a product index name selected, a 'Name' field, and 'Cancel' and 'Create destination' buttons." width="934" height="557" data-path="images/guides/connectors/destination.png" />

## Configure your task

1. Select when the connector should fetch your data:

   * **On demand**. The connector only fetches data if you manually run it from the [**Tasks**](https://dashboard.algolia.com/connectors/tasks/).
   * **Scheduled**. The connector runs on a schedule.
     You can select a schedule from the list, or enter a custom schedule with a cron expression.

2. Click **Create task**.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/algolia/0u_XqgAn7MC5F_qG/images/guides/connectors/task.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=0u_XqgAn7MC5F_qG&q=85&s=90b5285bf1c50ee63bbbea2626fec4fc" alt="Screenshot of a 'Configure your task' section with 'Scheduled' selected for data fetching every hour and a 'Create task' button." width="942" height="505" data-path="images/guides/connectors/task.png" />

### Manage your task

To see the status of your tasks, run them, deactivate them, or delete them,
go to the [**Tasks**](https://dashboard.algolia.com/connectors/tasks/) page in the Algolia dashboard.

## Limitations

This connector is subject to the following limitations:

* [Connectors limits](/doc/guides/scaling/algolia-service-limits/#connectors-limits)
* [Transformation limits](/doc/guides/scaling/algolia-service-limits/#data-transformation-and-fetch-limits)