How to return json by default for visual studio web api

Question

I just created a Web API project in Visual Studio 2013, and when I go to a sample restful URL in my browser, like http://localhost/values/5, it returns XML. How do I make it so that it returns JSON by default instead of XML? Something in my Global.asax file? Thanks!

Wesley Bland · Accepted Answer · 2014-02-25 15:53:19Z

4

By default, Web API returns the service document in AtomPub format. To request JSON you can add the following header to the HTTP request:

Accept: application/json

or you can remove xml media type support at all in Global.asax

public class WebApiConfig
{
    public static void Register(HttpConfiguration config)
    {
        var appXmlType = config.Formatters.XmlFormatter.SupportedMediaTypes.FirstOrDefault(t => t.MediaType == "application/xml");
        config.Formatters.XmlFormatter.SupportedMediaTypes.Remove(appXmlType);
    }
}

edited Feb 25, 2014 at 15:53

Wesley Bland

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answered Feb 25, 2014 at 15:35

Maxim Nikonov

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1 Comment

user2023861 Over a year ago

For me, I had to put this code not in Global.asax, but instead in App_Start/WebApiConfig.cs

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