Step 1: check syntax
Use a JSON validator to confirm the payload parses at all. That catches commas, quotes, bracket mismatches, and similar syntax problems.
Step 2: format the payload
Once it is valid, formatting makes nested objects easier to inspect. That helps you spot structural mistakes more quickly.
Step 3: validate the expected contract
If you have a schema or type expectation, validate the data against that contract too. A JSON value can be syntactically valid and still be wrong for the application.