Converting nested JSON to CSV in Python with pandas

A common pandas recipe for JSON-to-CSV conversion produces an unnamed index column and cells full of raw dictionary text when the data is nested. The article explains that the problem lies in the JSON's structure rather than the recipe itself. It lists eight common error symptoms with their causes and fixes, most of which need only a single parameter change. For nested data, it recommends pd.json_normalize with record_path and meta, and it shows how to inspect a file's keys to choose the right approach. It also warns that pandas 3.0 treats a literal JSON string as a file path, so the string must be wrapped in StringIO.