# Guide JSON format
Source: https://www.stedi.com/docs/edi-platform/operate/transform-json/guide-json

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title: Guide JSON format
sidebartitle: "Guide JSON format"
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Stedi's native format for EDI transactions is called Guide JSON. It closely reflects the structure of an EDI transaction, but uses JSON instead of EDI syntax.

* When you [Generate EDI](/edi-platform/operate/generate-edi), Stedi accepts Guide JSON as input, and delivers a fully-validated EDI file to your partner.
* Stedi [parses inbound EDI](/edi-platform/operate/parse-edi) into Guide JSON format.

## Example

The following example shows an 834 benefit enrollment in X12 EDI and Guide JSON formats. The EDI format is in the first tab, and the Guide JSON is in the second tab.

```shell tab="834 benefit enrollment EDI"
ISA*00*          *00*          *ZZ*SENDERNAME     *ZZ*RECEIVERNAME   *041227*1324*^*00501*000000103*0*P*>~
GS*BE*SENDERNAME*RECEIVERNAME*20041227*1324*000000103*X*005010X220A1~
ST*834*12345*005010X220A1~
BGN*00*12456*19980520*1200****2~
REF*38*ABCD012354~
N1*P5**FI*999888777~
N1*IN**FI*654456654~
INS*N*19*024*07*A~
REF*0F*123456789~
REF*1L*123456001~
DTP*357*D8*19960801~
NM1*IL*1*DOE*JAMES*E***34*103229876~
DMG*D8*19770816*M~
SE*12*12345~
GE*1*000000103~
IEA*1*000000103~
```

```json tab="834 benefit enrollment JSON"
{
  "heading": {
    "transaction_set_header_ST": {
      "transaction_set_identifier_code_01": "834",
      "transaction_set_control_number_02": 12345,
      "implementation_convention_reference_03": "005010X220A1"
    },
    "beginning_segment_BGN": {
      "transaction_set_purpose_code_01": "00",
      "transaction_set_reference_number_02": "12456",
      "transaction_set_creation_date_03": "1998-05-20",
      "transaction_set_creation_time_04": "12:00",
      "action_code_08": "2"
    },
    "transaction_set_policy_number_REF": {
      "reference_identification_qualifier_01": "38",
      "master_policy_number_02": "ABCD012354"
    },
    "sponsor_name_N1_loop": {
      "sponsor_name_N1": {
        "entity_identifier_code_01": "P5",
        "identification_code_qualifier_03": "FI",
        "sponsor_identifier_04": "999888777"
      }
    },
    "payer_N1_loop": {
      "payer_N1": {
        "entity_identifier_code_01": "IN",
        "identification_code_qualifier_03": "FI",
        "insurer_identification_code_04": "654456654"
      }
    }
  },
  "detail": {
    "member_level_detail_INS_loop": [
      {
        "member_level_detail_INS": {
          "member_indicator_01": "N",
          "individual_relationship_code_02": "19",
          "maintenance_type_code_03": "024",
          "maintenance_reason_code_04": "07",
          "benefit_status_code_05": "A"
        },
        "subscriber_identifier_REF": {
          "reference_identification_qualifier_01": "0F",
          "subscriber_identifier_02": "123456789"
        },
        "member_policy_number_REF": {
          "reference_identification_qualifier_01": "1L",
          "member_group_or_policy_number_02": "123456001"
        },
        "member_level_dates_DTP": [
          {
            "date_time_qualifier_01": "357",
            "date_time_period_format_qualifier_02": "D8",
            "status_information_effective_date_03": "19960801"
          }
        ],
        "member_name_NM1_loop": {
          "member_name_NM1": {
            "entity_identifier_code_01": "IL",
            "entity_type_qualifier_02": "1",
            "member_last_name_03": "DOE",
            "member_first_name_04": "JAMES",
            "member_middle_name_05": "E",
            "identification_code_qualifier_08": "34",
            "member_identifier_09": "103229876"
          },
          "member_demographics_DMG": {
            "date_time_period_format_qualifier_01": "D8",
            "member_birth_date_02": "19770816",
            "gender_code_03": "M"
          }
        }
      }
    ],
    "transaction_set_trailer_SE": {
      "transaction_segment_count_01": 12,
      "transaction_set_control_number_02": 12345
    }
  }
}
```

## What is Guide JSON?

Guides are Stedi's machine-readable representation of the EDI specifications that your trading partners provide to you (typically in the form of PDF, Excel, or Word files), or that you provide to your trading partners. You can view and import guides from [X12 HIPAA transactions](https://www.stedi.com/edi/network/hipaa) and [popular logistics and retail trading partners](https://www.stedi.com/edi/network) as needed for your integration.

Each guide is backed by a JSON Schema that defines the structure of the EDI transaction. **Guide JSON** is JSON data that conforms to the **guide's** schema.

### How Stedi uses Guide JSON

* **Inbound files:** Stedi uses the inbound [transaction settings](/edi-platform/configure/trading-partners/transaction-settings) within the partnership to determine which Stedi guide to use for validation and translation. If validation is successful, Stedi parses the file into one or more transactions, and outputs them in Guide JSON.
* **Outbound files:** You supply Stedi's [Generate Outbound Transaction](/edi-platform/api-reference/post-transactions) endpoint with transaction data in the Guide JSON format. Stedi uses that data to generate an EDI file and deliver it to your trading partner.

### Find a guide's JSON Schema

To find the JSON Schema for a guide:

1. Navigate to the [Guides](https://portal.stedi.com/app/guides) page in your Stedi account.
2. Click the guide you want to view.
3. Open the **Actions** menu and select **View schema**.

## How Guide JSON formats vary

Guide JSON formats vary in three ways. You must account for these differences when you receive Guide JSON webhooks for inbound transactions, and when you call Stedi APIs to send outbound transactions.

### Transaction type

Since a guide can represent any of the 300+ EDI transaction types, the Guide JSON (and corresponding JSON Schema) will differ depending on the transaction type. For example, the Guide JSON for an 834 benefit enrollment will differ from the Guide JSON for an 835 Claim Payment/Advice (also known as an ERA). This means that the payloads you receive from Stedi through webhooks will vary depending on the transaction type, and the payloads you send to Stedi APIs will also vary depending on the transaction type.

### Release

X12 has 30+ releases, or versions. There are often breaking changes between X12 releases, which makes it impossible to reliably canonicalize transactions across releases. Since different trading partners use different releases, the Guide JSON you have to accept from and provide to Stedi differ depending on the release. For example, the Guide JSON for an 850 Purchase Order in X12 release `004010` will be different than the Guide JSON for an 850 Purchase Order in X12 release `005010`.

### Trading partner

Since different trading partners use different EDI specifications, the Guide JSON may differ depending on the trading partner. For example, the [Amazon Retail 855 PO Acknowledgment](https://portal.stedi.com/app/guides/view/amazon/retail-purchase-order-acknowledgment/01H25HYSGSFKB0P1G99H31K9YP#properties.detail.properties.baseline_item_data_PO1_loop.items.properties.pricing_information_CTP) allows you to optionally specify pricing information in the `CTP` segment, but the [Walmart 855](https://portal.stedi.com/app/guides/view/walmart-edi/4010-purchase-order-acknowledgment/01GNZA51CHFJJD9Y75GSSCXHHW#properties.detail.properties.baseline_item_data_PO1_loop.items.properties.baseline_item_data_PO1) does not.

These differences don't apply to X12 HIPAA transactions, which are standardized across trading partners. For example, the Guide JSON for an 834 benefit enrollment will be the same regardless of which payer you send it to.