---
title: JsonSerializer
summary: API reference for JsonSerializer.
status: draft
owner: bendy
last_reviewed: 2026-09-15
library: SAIF.Web.API.Clients
reference_type: package
---

# JsonSerializer

`JsonSerializer` adapts `Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer` to RestSharp's `ISerializer` contract, so `JsonHttpClient` can control date-time-zone handling and other Newtonsoft settings while still plugging into RestSharp's request-body serialization pipeline. It is adapted from the Apache-2.0 RestSharp default serializer, with attribution retained in the source file header.

## Purpose
- Serialize request bodies to indented JSON with a configurable `DateTimeZoneHandling`, keeping serialization consistent with response deserialization ([BR-CLI-011](../../business-rules.md#br-cli-011-date-time-zone-handling-consistency)). See [Serialize (JsonSerializer)](../../operations/serialize-request-body.md).
- Satisfy the `RestSharp.Serializers.ISerializer` contract so `JsonHttpClient` can assign it to `RestRequest.JsonSerializer`.

## Context
- Namespace: `SAIF.Web.API.Clients`
- Assembly/package: `SAIF.Web.API.Clients` (NuGet package `SAIF.Web.API.Clients`)

## Public members
| Member | Signature | Purpose |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Constructor | `JsonSerializer(DateTimeZoneHandling dateTimeZoneHandling = DateTimeZoneHandling.Local)` | Builds an internal `Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer` with `MissingMemberHandling.Ignore`, `NullValueHandling.Include`, `DefaultValueHandling.Include`, and the given date-time-zone handling. |
| Constructor | `JsonSerializer(Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer serializer)` | Accepts a fully caller-configured Newtonsoft serializer, overriding all default settings from the other constructor. |
| `Serialize` | `string Serialize(object obj)` | Serializes `obj` to indented JSON (`Formatting.Indented`, `"` quote char) and returns the resulting string. |
| `ContentType` | `string { get; set; }` | Set to `application/json` by both constructors; part of the `ISerializer` contract RestSharp reads when writing the request. |
| `DateFormat` | `string { get; set; }` | Declared for `ISerializer` compliance; documented in-source as unused for JSON serialization. |
| `RootElement` | `string { get; set; }` | Declared for `ISerializer` compliance; documented in-source as unused for JSON serialization. |
| `Namespace` | `string { get; set; }` | Declared for `ISerializer` compliance; documented in-source as unused for JSON serialization. |

## Behavioral notes
- Payloads are always pretty-printed (`Formatting.Indented`) on the wire, producing larger request bodies than compact serialization would.
- The two-constructor design means callers can either accept the library's fixed Newtonsoft settings (with a chosen date-time-zone mode) or fully replace them by supplying their own `Newtonsoft.Json.JsonSerializer`.

## Constraints and usage notes
- `DateFormat`, `RootElement`, and `Namespace` exist only to satisfy the `ISerializer` interface signature and have no effect on JSON output.

## Sources
- `src/SAIF.Web.API.Clients/JsonSerializer.cs`