Whether you’re migrating databases, sharing data for analysis, or just backing things up, the MongoDB export to JSON is a common task. But how do you approach it? This guide dives into 3 easy methods, each tailored to your technical skills and preference.

We’ll walk you through using the built-in mongoexport tool, leveraging the Python pymongo driver, and even exploring user-friendly GUI options like Studio 3T and Robo 3T.

Follow our easy step-by-step guide to help you master the skill to efficiently learn the MongoDB export to JSON format using Mongo’s rich environment, various other tools & programming language drivers.

3 Easy Methods: MongoDB Export To JSON

The MongoDB export to JSON can be done in three easy ways :

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MongoDB Export to JSON Method 1: Using mongoexport

Mongoexport is a command-line utility that is used for MongoDB export to JSON. mongoexport runs directly on the MongoDB command line and not on the Mongo Shell & it can be used in the following way:

mongoexport --collection=<coll> [options]

mongoexport is part of MongoDB’s tools package, which is available through the MongoDB Download Center. The tools package must be installed well in advance to access the command line.

The user must specify the collection they want to export and an output file name. 

Mongoexport helps in MongoDB export to JSON format in two simple steps:

Step 1: Establishing A Connection To A MongoDB Instance

A MongoDB instance running on port “27017”, doesn’t necessarily require a host or port to be specified.

Example query: Here director represents the database from which movies collection is being exported in JSON format.

mongoexport --collection=movies --db=director --out=movies.json

Options that are specified as a part of the query used to export MongoDB data in JSON format:

–host: It is an optional parameter that helps mention the remote server MongoDB instances.

–username & –passwords: These are the optional parameter used for authentication.

–db: Gives information about the database.

–collection: Gives the collection name.

a) Specifying the collection that you want to export, can be done in two ways:

--collection=<collection> or -c=<collection>

b) Specifying the output file that you want to export to, can similarly be done in two ways:

--out=<output_name> or -o=<output_name>

c) Specifying the database you will be exporting from is represented as: 

--db=<database_name> or -d=<database_name>

Step 2: Specifying Host And/Or Port Of The MongoDB Instance

The port and/or hostname can be specified in multiple ways:

  1. Using the –uri connection string

This method requires specifying the database as a part of the string.

mongoexport --uri="mongodb://mongodb0.example.com:27017/conduct"  --collection=webinars  --out=webinars.json [additional options]
  • This code exports data from the webinars collection in the conduct database.
  • It connects to the MongoDB server at mongodb0.example.com on port 27017 using the specified URI.
  • The exported data is saved to a file named webinars.json.
  • [additional options] allows adding further options to customize the export.
  • mongoexport is the command-line tool used for exporting data from MongoDB in JSON format.

The --db command line option can’t be used directly with the --uri connection string.

2. Using –host option

The –host option allows using either of the following ways to specify the value:

<--host=<hostname><:port> or -h=<hostname><:port>

Example query:

mongoexport --host="mongodb0.example.com:27017" --collection=movies --db=director --out=movies.json [additional options]
  • This command exports data from a MongoDB collection called movies to a JSON file.
  • The --host option specifies the server address and port, here "mongodb0.example.com:27017".
  • The --collection option selects the movies collection, while --db specifies the database name, director.
  • The --out option saves the exported data into a file named movies.json.
  • [additional options] allows for optional parameters like filters, authentication, or formatting choices.

3. Using –host & –port options

The --host & --port options allow using either of the following ways to specify the values:

<--host=<hostname><:port>, -h=<hostname><:port> 
--port=<port>

Example query:

mongoexport --host="mongodb0.example.com" --port=27017 --collection=movies--db=director--out=movies.json [additional options]
  • This command exports MongoDB data from the movies collection to a JSON file.
  • --host specifies the server, here "mongodb0.example.com", and --port sets the port as 27017.
  • --collection=movies targets the movies collection within the director database (--db=director).
  • --out=movies.json saves the output data to movies.json.
  • [additional options] allows extra settings, such as authentication or filtering.

The output format of an exported document can vary with the version of JSON being used, therefore simply exporting MongoDB data isn’t enough, it’s important to understand how the output varies:

Output in extended JSON v2.0 (Relaxed Mode)

{"_id":1.0,"volume":2980000,"date":{"$date":"2019-08-05T16:18:29.559Z"}}

Output in extended JSON v2.0 (Canonical Mode)

To export MongoDB data in canonical mode, you must use the parameter –jsonFormat=canonical in your query.

{"_id":{"$numberDouble":"1.0"},"volume":{"$numberLong":"2980000"},"date":{"$date":{"$numberLong":"1565363188675"}}}
  • This JSON document represents a MongoDB data entry.
  • "_id" has a double value of 1.0, serving as a unique identifier.
  • "volume" stores a long integer, 2980000, likely representing a quantity or count.
  • "date" contains a timestamp in milliseconds (1565363188675) from the epoch (1970-01-01).
  • $numberDouble, $numberLong, and $date are MongoDB-specific data types.

Limitations of Using Mongoexport to Export MongoDB to JSON

  • Limited Representation of Complex Structure: Using mongoexport can lead to loss of data relationships as nested documents and arrays of MongoDB may not be supported in JSON. 
  • Data Conversion Issues: mongoexport various data types, but JSON has fewer data types compared to it. So, using mongoexport may result in data loss or inaccuracy.

MongoDB Export to JSON Method 2: Using The Pymongo Driver

MongoDB Export to JSON: Pymongo Driver

The Pymongo driver is another way to export MongoDB data in the desired JSON format. The Pymongo driver helps interact with MongoDB using Python.

It is available starting from MongoDB v2.6 and supports all versions up to v4.2.

This method involves the following steps:

Step 1: Installing Pymongo

The recommended way to install a Pymongo driver is through pip, which usually gets installed along with the Python environment. You can use the following code:

C:Users/YourName/AppData/LocalPrograms/Python/Python36-32Scripts>python -m pip install pymongo

Once the installation is done, import the driver:

import pymongo

Once Pymongo is installed & imported, install the pandas library:

pip3 install pandas
import pandas

Step 2: Connecting With MongoClient

To export MongoDB data, it’s essential to connect & create a MongoClient on the running MongoDB instance:

from pymongo import MongoClient
Client_Mongo_new=MongoClient()

This code will connect to the default host and port, to give a specific host & port use the following code:

Client_Mongo_new=MongoClient(‘localhost’,27017)

Connect with the desired database & collection to export MongoDB data as follows:

db=Client_Mongo_new.database_name
c=db.collection_name // This is used to check whether the collection is there or not.

Step 3: Document Retrieval Using API Calls

To retrieve all documents, use the find() method and make sure not to pass any arguments for now. The output thus obtained will be in the form of pymongo.cursor.cursor object.

Once the API call is made, use the list() method to receive all documents. 

cursor=c.find()
docs=list(cursor)// retrieves exported MongoDB data from database.

It’s always a good practice to restrict the amount of MongoDB data being exported to make the process more efficient:

docs=docs[:25]// Retrieves only 25 documents initially.

Step 4: Using pandas.series() method

Export MongoDB data in a restricted amount as mentioned above and convert it to pandas.series.Series format as follows:

Series_obj=pandas.Series({“one”:”index”})
Series_obj.index=[“one”]
Print(“index”:series_obj.index) 
  • This code creates a Pandas Series with a single entry, where the label "one" maps to the value "index".
  • It sets the Series index to ["one"] explicitly, though it’s already labeled as "one" by default.
  • print("index":series_obj.index) is intended to print the index, but this line has a syntax error.
  • Correct syntax should be print("index:", Series_obj.index) to display the index of Series_obj.
  • The code demonstrates basic Series creation and index modification in Pandas, with minor errors.

Step 5: Creating A Pandas Dataframe Object

Begin by creating an empty object as follows:

docus=pandas.Dataframe(colums=[])

Step 6: Enumeration & Appending The Series Object

To iterate through the documents efficiently, make use of the enumerate function in a python for-loop as follows:

for n,doc in enumerate(docs):
    doc[“_id”]=str(doc[“_id”])
    doc_id=doc[“_id”]
series_obj=pandas.Series(doc,name=doc_id)// Series Object Creation.
docs=docs.append(series_obj)
  • This code loops through each document (doc) in the docs list.
  • It converts the "_id" field in each document to a string format.
  • A new Pandas Series (series_obj) is created for each document, named after its "_id".
  • The newly created Series is appended to docs.
  • This process effectively converts each document into a Series and adds it to the docs list as Series objects.

Step 7: Using .to_json() Function

The inherent methods of Pandas Series and DataFrame objects allow streamlined exporting of different file formats including to_html(), to_json(), and to_csv().

json_export = docs.to_json() # return JSON data
print ("nJSON data:", json_export)

These seven steps can be used for successful MongoDB export to JSON file format with the help of Pymongo driver.

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Limitations of Using Pymongo to Export MongoDB to JSON

  • Scalability: Using Pymongo to export JSON can be slow, time-consuming, and resource-intensive for large datasets.
  • Basic Data Manipulation: You may have to use additional libraries or do scripting for complex data transformation and specific data formatting in JSON while using Pymongo. 

MongoDB Export to JSON Method 3: Using Tools Such as Studio 3T & Robo 3T

Using Studio 3T

Studio 3T provides the Export Wizard facility, which helps in MongoDB export to JSON, query results, and even collections in various forms like JSON. The process begins by connecting with the desired MongoDB instance and then working on the collection and its documents using the Studio 3T wizard. 

Using Studio 3T, you can export MongoDB data in 2 steps:

Step 1: Using The Wizard Toolbar

Wizard Toolbar.

Click on the Export option and then use a right-click to select any database followed by a collection that you want to export.

MongoDB Export to JSON: Exporting Collections.

With Studio 3T, you can export data & simultaneously query in applications like Visual Query Builder, IntelliShell, SQL, etc.

The Export configuration allows to dynamically change the source of export i.e database, collection, etc.

MongoDB Export to JSON: Export Source

The progress of an export process can be tracked using the operations window, usually found in the bottom left corner of the wizard.

MongoDB Export to JSON: Reveal in Folder Option.

Step 2: Exporting Documents In JSON

Begin by launching the wizard, and then select the source from where you want to export the document.

MongoDB Export to JSON: Selecting Current Query.

Select the final export format as JSON.

MongoDB Export to JSON: JSON Export Format.

This will open a new tab called Export Overview along with a default tab by the name of Export Unit #1-JSON.

MongoDB Export to JSON: Query Overview.

There are five parts of the Export unit#1-JSON tab:

  • Source: Make sure the source is entered correctly.
  • Format Option: Choose JSON-mongo shell/ JSON-mongoexport.
  • Target: Choose between clipboard/file & make sure the file path is defined.
  • Others: Choose whether to export with commas between documents or export as a document array.
  • Output Preview: Displays the final JSON document.

Click on execute for a successful MongoDB export to JSON format using Studio3T.

Using Robo 3T

Robo 3T (formerly Robomongo) doesn’t directly provide a feature to export MongoDB data in JSON format however, it can be implemented by tweaking the export query to provide data in a format similar to JSON.

This can be achieved in two ways:

1. Using tojson Function

var cursor = db.getCollection('foo').find({}, {});
while(cursor.hasNext()) {
print(tojson(cursor.next())) }
  • This code queries all documents in the foo collection using MongoDB.
  • It retrieves a cursor to iterate over each document in the collection.
  • The while loop checks if there are more documents using cursor.hasNext().
  • For each document, cursor.next() retrieves it, and tojson() converts it to JSON format.
  • Each document is printed to the console in JSON format.

This code produces a JSON like array of documents.

2. Write A Query

db.getCollection('collection').find({}).toArray()

Once the query has executed, use a right-click, and select copy JSON option to export MongoDB data.

MongoDB Export to JSON: Copying JSON.

Let’s compare Studio 3T and Robo 3T for data presentation and modification.

FeatureRobo 3TStudio 3T
Data Display Table, Tree, and JSON ViewsYesYes
Search in JSON ViewYesYes
Search in Tree and Table ViewsYes
Batch updates of fieldsYes
Edit fields in placeYes

Limitations of Using Studio 3T and Robo 3T to Export MongoDB to JSON

  • Unsupportive to Complex Structure: Due to limitations of format, nested documents and arrays of MongoDB cannot be represented properly in JSON. This may lead to loss of information or may require manual intervention. 
  • Scalability:  Using Studio 3T to export massive collections directly to JSON can be slow and resource-intensive, especially for complex data structures. 
  • Robo 3T only supports MongoDB 4.2 and not its latest versions. 

Use Cases for Mongo Export to JSON

  • Data Exchange and Sharing: Through MongoDB export JSON, you can do API integrations and configure specific files if required. You can also back up your data temporarily. 
  • Data Analysis: you can do small-scale data exploration, model training, and log analysis when you export the MongoDB database to JSON.

Learn more about : 

Conclusion

This article offers a step-by-step solution for MongoDB export to JSON format, considering multiple tools and techniques like Studio 3T. It provides a brief introduction of these methods and their operations to help the users understand them better and use them to export MongoDB data in a JSON file format in the most efficient way possible.

See how exporting MongoDB data to Excel can streamline your data management. Explore our guide for straightforward instructions on the export process.

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We would love to hear from you about your experience with these methods! Reach out to us in the comments section below.

FAQ MongoDB to JSON

1. How do I export MongoDB database to JSON?

Exporting data from a MongoDB database to a JSON file can be done using the mongoexport tool, which is included with MongoDB.

2. How to send data into JSON?

To send data into JSON format or convert a file to JSON, you typically need to serialize the data into a JSON structure using a programming language or a tool.

3. How to get data out of MongoDB?

Getting data out of MongoDB can be done using various methods depending on your requirements. Here are some common methods to retrieve and export data from MongoDB:
1. Using MongoDB Shell
2. Using mongoexport tool
3. Using a programming language such as Python
Using a GUI tool

Divij Chawla
Marketing Operations and Analytics Manager, Hevo Data

Divij Chawla is interested in data analysis, software architecture, and technical content creation. With extensive experience driving Marketing Operations and Analytics teams, he excels at defining strategic objectives, delivering real-time insights, and setting up efficient processes. His technical expertise includes developing dashboards, implementing CRM systems, and optimising sales and marketing workflows. Divij combines his analytical skills with a deep understanding of data-driven solutions to create impactful content and drive business growth.

Sarthak Bhardwaj
Customer Experience Engineer, Hevo

Sarthak is a skilled professional with over 2 years of hands-on experience in JDBC, MongoDB, REST API, and AWS. His expertise has been instrumental in driving Hevo's success, where he excels in adept problem-solving and superior issue management. Sarthak's technical proficiency and strategic approach have consistently contributed to optimizing operations and ensuring seamless performance, making him a vital asset to the team.

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