The 'JSON parse error in webhook response' in Make means the target service returned a response that is not valid JSON. The most common cause is receiving an HTML error page instead of a JSON response, indicated by 'Unexpected token <' in the error. Verify the webhook URL is correct, the target service is running, and the response Content-Type is application/json.
What does "JSON parse error in webhook response" mean in Make?
When Make shows this error, it received a response from a webhook or HTTP request that it tried to parse as JSON but failed. The response body contained something other than valid JSON — most commonly an HTML error page. The error message often includes: 'Unexpected token <, <!DOCTYPE ... is not valid JSON.'
This error appears across virtually every tool and platform because the root cause is universal: an API endpoint returned HTML instead of JSON. The reasons are always the same — wrong URL, expired authentication redirecting to a login page, or a server returning an error page — but developers search for tool-specific solutions each time.
In Make specifically, this error can occur in the Webhook Response module, HTTP modules (Make a request), and any module that expects a JSON response from an external API. Make classifies this as a DataError type, one of its 13+ formal error types.
Common causes
The webhook URL is incorrect or
points to an HTML page instead of an API endpoint
The target service returned an
HTML error page (404, 500, 502) instead of a JSON error response
Authentication expired, causing the target
service to redirect to a login page that returns HTML
The API endpoint changed its URL or
version, and the old URL now returns a 'not found' HTML page
The target service is behind a proxy or
CDN that returns its own HTML error pages for server failures
The Content-Type header in the response is
text/html instead of application/json, but Make still tries to parse it as JSON
How to fix "JSON parse error in webhook response" in Make
First, identify what the response actually contains. In Make's scenario execution history, click the failed module to see the full response body. If it starts with <!DOCTYPE html> or <html>, the target returned an HTML page instead of JSON.
Verify the webhook URL is correct. Test it independently by opening the URL in a browser or using a tool like Postman. If you get an HTML page, the URL is wrong or the service is down.
Check authentication. If the target requires API keys or OAuth tokens, verify they are still valid. An expired token often causes the target to redirect to a login page, which returns HTML. Update the credentials in Make's connection settings.
For APIs behind CDNs or proxies (Cloudflare, AWS), the proxy may return its own HTML error pages when the origin server is down. In this case, the issue is with the target service, not your Make configuration.
Add error handling: use the HTTP module's 'Parse response' option set to 'No' when you need to inspect the raw response. Then add a Router to check the Content-Type header before attempting to parse JSON. This prevents the parse error from crashing the entire scenario.
For webhook triggers: ensure the service sending data to your Make webhook is sending the request with Content-Type: application/json and the body is valid JSON. Use Make's webhook logs to see the raw incoming data.
Prevention tips
- Check the raw response body in Make's execution history — if it starts with <!DOCTYPE html> the target returned an HTML page, not JSON
- Test webhook URLs independently in Postman or a browser before configuring them in Make to verify they return JSON
- Add a Router after HTTP modules to check the Content-Type header before attempting JSON parsing, preventing cascade failures
- When authentication expires, the target often redirects to a login page (HTML) — update credentials in Make's connection settings
Still stuck?
Copy one of these prompts to get a personalized, step-by-step explanation.
My Make scenario shows 'JSON parse error in webhook response' with 'Unexpected token <'. The response starts with <!DOCTYPE html>. The webhook worked yesterday. What changed and how do I fix it?
My Make HTTP module fails with a JSON parse error. Here is the URL and the raw response body: [paste both]. Diagnose why the target is returning HTML instead of JSON and fix the Make configuration.
Frequently asked questions
What causes "JSON parse error in webhook response" in Make?
The target service returned something that is not valid JSON — usually an HTML error page. This happens when the URL is wrong, authentication expired (redirecting to a login page), or the target server is returning error pages. Check the raw response in Make's execution history.
Why does the error show 'Unexpected token <'?
The '<' character is the first character of an HTML response (<!DOCTYPE html>). Make tried to parse this as JSON, which starts with '{' or '['. The '<' indicates the response is HTML, not JSON. The target service returned an HTML page instead of a JSON API response.
How do I see the actual response that caused the parse error?
In Make, go to the scenario execution history, click the failed run, then click the module that errored. The response body is shown in the output. If the raw body is not visible, set the HTTP module's 'Parse response' to 'No' and re-run to capture the raw response.
Can expired authentication cause a JSON parse error?
Yes. When authentication expires, many APIs redirect to a login page instead of returning a JSON error. The login page is HTML, which Make cannot parse as JSON. Update the credentials in Make's connection settings and reauthorize.
Can RapidDev help build error-resistant Make scenarios?
Yes. RapidDev can design Make scenarios with proper error handling using Routers and error handler directives, Content-Type checking before JSON parsing, and fallback strategies for when target APIs return unexpected responses.
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