JSON fundamentals for SQL pros

Proposed session for SQLBits 2026

TL; DR

With the recent introduction of new JSON functions and JSON indexes in SQL Server 2025 and Azure SQL Database, this is a good time to learn what JSON is, and how to work with it in. While JSON support is a great addition to T-SQL, some of these new features will require a little planning and tweaking to get just right. We’ll cover the basics of the JSON format, common JSON functions in SQL Server, and how to make practical use of them when importing and exporting JSON data.

Session Details

With the recent introduction of new JSON functions and JSON indexes in SQL Server 2025 and Azure SQL Database, this is a good time to learn what JSON is, and how to work with it in.

While JSON support is a great addition to T-SQL, some of these new features will require a little planning and tweaking to get just right.

We’ll cover the basics of the JSON format, common JSON functions in SQL Server, and how to make practical use of them when importing and exporting JSON data.

3 things you'll get out of this session

* Understanding the JSON format * Understanding T-SQL functions for working with JSON * Understanding how SQL Server indexes JSON data and how to write queries that benefit from these indexes