jq
Expert jq usage for JSON querying, filtering, transformation, and pipeline integration. Practical patterns for real shell workflows.
Profile →npx skills add sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills --skill jq --agent claude-code
Same command for any agent — swap --agent for codex, cursor, copilot.
Weekly change comes from our own snapshots, not the repository page — it measures attention, not adoption.
# jq — JSON Querying and Transformation ## Overview `jq` is the standard CLI tool for querying and reshaping JSON. This skill covers practical, expert-level usage: filtering deeply nested data, transforming structures, aggregating values, and composing `jq` into shell pipelines. Every example is copy-paste ready for real workflows. ## When to Use This Skill - Use when parsing JSON output from APIs, CLI tools (AWS, GitHub, kubectl, docker), or log files - Use when transforming JSON structure (rename keys, flatten arrays, group records) - Use when the user needs `jq` inside a bash script or one-liner - Use when explaining what a complex `jq` expression does ## How It Works `jq` takes a filter expression and applies it to JSON input. Filters compose with pipes (`|`), and `jq` handles arrays, objects, strings, numbers, booleans, and `null` natively. ### Basic Selection ```bash # Extract a field echo '{"name":"alice","age":30}' | jq '.name' # "alice" # Nested access echo '{"user":{"email":"a@b.com"}}' | jq '.user.email' # Array index echo '[10, 20, 30]' | jq '.[1]' # 20 # Array slice echo '[1,2,3,4,5]' | jq '.[2:4]' # [3, 4] # All array elements echo '[{"id":1},{"id":2}]' | jq '.[]' ```
- Overview
- When to Use This Skill
- How It Works
- Basic Selection
- Filtering with select
- Mapping and Transformation
- Aggregation and Reduce
- String Interpolation and Formatting
- Working with Keys and Paths
- Conditionals and Error Handling
- Practical Shell Integration
- Advanced Patterns
- Best Practices
- Security & Safety Notes
Extract a field
echo '{"name":"alice","age":30}' | jq '.name'
Nested access
echo '{"user":{"email":"a@b.com"}}' | jq '.user.email'
Array index
echo '[10, 20, 30]' | jq '.[1]'
Array slice
echo '[1,2,3,4,5]' | jq '.[2:4]'
All array elements
echo '[{"id":1},{"id":2}]' | jq '.[]'What does the jq skill do?
Expert jq usage for JSON querying, filtering, transformation, and pipeline integration. Practical patterns for real shell workflows.
How do I install it?
Run `npx skills add sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills --skill jq --agent claude-code` — it drops the skill into your project so the agent can pick it up. Swap the --agent value for codex, cursor or copilot if you use one of those.
Where does this skill come from?
From sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, a repository with 44,414 stars. We read it straight from the repository tree rather than a submitted listing, so what you see here is what is actually published.
Is a popular skill a good skill?
Not necessarily. Stars measure attention, not adoption — a repository can trend for a week and be abandoned. That is why we show the weekly change from our own snapshots next to the total, instead of a single flattering number.