Add a Root Node to JSON Output with the ROOT Option#

To add a single, top-level element to the JSON output of the FOR JSON clause, specify the ROOT option.

If you don’t specify the ROOT option, the JSON output doesn’t include a root element.

Examples#

The following examples show the output of the FOR JSON clause with and without the ROOT option.

The examples in the following table assume that the optional RootName argument is empty. If you provide a name for the root element, this value replaces the value root in the examples.

Without the ROOT option

{
   <<json properties>>
}

[
   <<json array elements>>
]

With the ROOT option

{
   "root": {
      <<json properties>>
   }
}

{
  "root": [
     <<json array elements>>
  ]
}

Here’s another example of a FOR JSON clause with the ROOT option. This example specifies a value for the optional RootName argument.

Query

SELECT TOP 5
       BusinessEntityID As Id,
       FirstName, LastName,
       Title As 'Info.Title',
       MiddleName As 'Info.MiddleName'
   FROM Person.Person
   FOR JSON PATH, ROOT('info')

Result

{
    "info": [{
        "Id": 1,
        "FirstName": "Ken",
        "LastName": "Sánchez",
        "Info": {
            "MiddleName": "J"
        }
    }, {
        "Id": 2,
        "FirstName": "Terri",
        "LastName": "Duffy",
        "Info": {
            "MiddleName": "Lee"
        }
    }, {
        "Id": 3,
        "FirstName": "Roberto",
        "LastName": "Tamburello"
    }, {
        "Id": 4,
        "FirstName": "Rob",
        "LastName": "Walters"
    }, {
        "Id": 5,
        "FirstName": "Gail",
        "LastName": "Erickson",
        "Info": {
            "Title": "Ms.",
            "MiddleName": "A"
        }
    }]
}

Result (without root)

[{
    "Id": 1,
    "FirstName": "Ken",
    "LastName": "Sánchez",
    "Info": {
        "MiddleName": "J"
    }
}, {
    "Id": 2,
    "FirstName": "Terri",
    "LastName": "Duffy",
    "Info": {
        "MiddleName": "Lee"
    }
}, {
    "Id": 3,
    "FirstName": "Roberto",
    "LastName": "Tamburello"
}, {
    "Id": 4,
    "FirstName": "Rob",
    "LastName": "Walters"
}, {
    "Id": 5,
    "FirstName": "Gail",
    "LastName": "Erickson",
    "Info": {
        "Title": "Ms.",
        "MiddleName": "A"
    }
}]

See also#