SubtitleEdit/subtitleedit · error · InvalidDataException

Failed to parse multiple-replace JSON at {path}: {ex.Message

Error message

Failed to parse multiple-replace JSON at {path}: {ex.Message}

What it means

Wrapped exception thrown by MultipleReplaceLoader.ParseJson when System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.Deserialize<CategoryImportExport> fails on the multiple-replace file content. The file was read successfully but is not valid JSON or does not map to the CategoryImportExport schema (the SE5 category/rule shape used by .template and .csv exports). The original exception is preserved as InnerException of an InvalidDataException with the path and original message.

Source

Thrown at src/seconv/Core/MultipleReplaceLoader.cs:130

                    rules.Add(rule);
                }
            }
        }

        return rules;
    }

    private static CategoryImportExport ParseJson(string content, string path)
    {
        try
        {
            var item = System.Text.Json.JsonSerializer.Deserialize<CategoryImportExport>(content,
                new System.Text.Json.JsonSerializerOptions { PropertyNameCaseInsensitive = true });
            return item ?? new CategoryImportExport();
        }
        catch (Exception ex)
        {
            throw new InvalidDataException($"Failed to parse multiple-replace JSON at {path}: {ex.Message}", ex);
        }
    }

    // Flattens the SE5 category/rule shape (shared by the .template JSON and the CSV) into active
    // rules, mapping the UI's MultipleReplaceType names to the XML SearchType names the apply loop
    // expects: CaseInsensitive -> Normal, others by name.
    private static List<Rule> LoadCategoryItemRules(CategoryImportExport item)
    {
        var rules = new List<Rule>();
        if (item.Categories == null)
        {
            return rules;
        }

        foreach (var category in item.Categories)
        {
            if (category.Rules == null)
            {

View on GitHub (pinned to 17a9f07487)

Solutions

1. Validate the JSON with a linter (e.g. `python -m json.tool file.json`) to find the syntax error.
2. If the file is actually XML or CSV, rename it with the correct extension (.xml/.csv) so the loader picks the right parser.
3. Re-export from the SE GUI (Tools > Multiple replace > export as .template) to get a valid file.

try { var rules = MultipleReplaceLoader.LoadRules(path); }
catch (InvalidDataException ex) when (ex.Message.Contains("Failed to parse multiple-replace JSON"))
{
    // ex.InnerException has the JsonException with line/byte position
    var jsonError = ex.InnerException;
    // Report JSON parse error, suggest re-export or fix
}

When it happens

Trigger: The multiple-replace file is selected as JSON (by .json/.template extension or content starting with '{') but is malformed JSON (trailing commas, unquoted keys, truncated), or has a valid JSON structure that doesn't match the CategoryImportExport type.

Common situations: Hand-editing the JSON and introducing a syntax error; a file exported by a different version of SE with a changed schema; truncated download/copy; mixing .json with a CSV body that starts with '{'.

Understand the failure class

• Parsing and encoding errors: unexpected token, malformed input — why parsers reject input and how to find the real culprit.

Related errors

• Failed to parse multiple-replace XML at {path}: {ex.Message}
• Failed to read multiple-replace file at {path}: {ex.Message}
• Multiple-replace file not found: {path}
• No Blu-Ray sup subtitles found in: {filePath}
• No PGS subtitles in MKV track #{track.TrackNumber}.

AI-assisted analysis of SubtitleEdit/subtitleedit@17a9f07487 (2026-08-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/7fd8b6f166408528. Report an issue: GitHub.