I’m trying to convert a JSON object/array from the Google Directions API v3 to

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Asked: May 20, 20262026-05-20T05:01:53+00:00 2026-05-20T05:01:53+00:00

I’m trying to convert a JSON object/array from the Google Directions API v3 to

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I’m trying to convert a JSON object/array from the Google Directions API v3 to PHP so I can store it in a MySQL Database.

The array looks something like this (I truncated it pretty heavily…sorry for making it so long…I guess this is also an informative question for people wanting to know what the array string from Google Directions looks like):

{
"status":"OK",
"routes":[{
    "summary":"Lakelands Trail State Park",
    "legs":[{
        "steps":[{
            "travel_mode":"BICYCLING",
            "start_location":{"za":42.73698,"Ba":-84.4838},
            "end_location":{"za":42.74073,"Ba":-84.48378},
            "polyline":{"points":"cazcGvvsbOmVC","levels":"BB"},
            "duration":{"value":68,"text":"1 min"},
            "distance":{"value":417,"text":"0.3 mi"},
            "encoded_lat_lngs":"cazcGvvsbOmVC",
            "path":[{"za":42.73698,"Ba":-84.4838},{"za":42.740730000000006,"Ba":-84.48378000000001}],
            "lat_lngs":[{"za":42.73698,"Ba":-84.4838},{"za":42.740730000000006,"Ba":-84.48378000000001}],
            "instructions":"Head north on Abbot Rd toward Elizabeth St",
            "start_point":{"za":42.73698,"Ba":-84.4838},
            "end_point":{"za":42.74073,"Ba":-84.48378}
        },{ 
                    //more steps go here
//end steps array
}}],

        "duration":{"value":12309,"text":"3 hours 25 mins"},
        "distance":{"value":66198,"text":"41.1 mi"},
        "start_location":{"za":42.66069,"Ba":-84.07321},
        "end_location":{"za":42.27668,"Ba":-83.74076},
        "start_address":"E Grand River Ave, Fowlerville, MI 48836, USA",
        "end_address":"angell hall, 435 S State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA",
        "via_waypoint":[]
        //end leg array
        }],

"copyrights":"Map data ©2011 Google",
"warnings":["Bicycling directions are in beta. Use caution – This route may contain streets that aren't suited for bicycling."],
"waypoint_order":[0],
"bounds":{"U":{"b":42.276680000000006,"d":42.740840000000006},"O":{"d":-84.4838,"b":-83.73996000000001}},
"optimized_waypoint_order":[0]}],
"Ef":{"origin":"east lansing, mi","destination":"1139 Angell Hall 435 S. State Street Ann Arbor, MI 48109",
"waypoints":[{"location":"Bloated Goat Saloon, East Grand River Avenue, Fowlerville, MI","stopover":true}],"optimizeWaypoints":false,"travelMode":"BICYCLING"}

Using AJAX, I sent this object to PHP to decode it and save it in a database.

The only problem is that I don’t know how to parse the JSON into PHP…I kind of feel like a dog that actually caught the car they were chasing…I don’t know what to do next.

So my question:
How do I take the array above and turn it into something PHP can send to a MySQL database (I already have the database structure set up)? I’m not very good with programming languages, so if you could write your response in the most basic way possible, I’d be ever so grateful.