diff --git a/swh/scanner/cli.py b/swh/scanner/cli.py
--- a/swh/scanner/cli.py
+++ b/swh/scanner/cli.py
@@ -30,20 +30,26 @@
 
 @scanner.command(name='scan')
 @click.argument('path', required=True, type=click.Path(exists=True))
-@click.option('--api-url',
+@click.option('-u', '--api-url',
               default='https://archive.softwareheritage.org/api/1',
               metavar='API_URL', show_default=True,
               help="url for the api request")
+@click.option('-j','--json-file', type=str,
+              help="output result to json file")
 @click.pass_context
-def scan(ctx, path, api_url):
+def scan(ctx, path, api_url, json_file):
     """Scan a source code project to discover files and directories already
     present in the archive"""
     api_url = parse_url(api_url)
     source_tree = Tree(PosixPath(path))
     loop = asyncio.get_event_loop()
     loop.run_until_complete(run(path, api_url, source_tree))
+
     source_tree.show()
 
+    if json_file:
+        source_tree.writeToJson(json_file)
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     scan()
diff --git a/swh/scanner/model.py b/swh/scanner/model.py
--- a/swh/scanner/model.py
+++ b/swh/scanner/model.py
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 import sys
+import json
 from pathlib import PosixPath
 from typing import Any, Dict
 from enum import Enum
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@
         self.pid = ''
         self.children: Dict[PosixPath, Tree] = {}
 
-    def addNode(self, path: PosixPath, pid: str = None) -> None:
+    def addNode(self, path: PosixPath, pid: str = '') -> None:
         """Recursively add a new node path
         """
         relative_path = path.relative_to(self.path)
@@ -65,20 +66,34 @@
             if node.children:
                 node.printChildren(isatty, inc+1)
 
-    def printNode(self, node: Any, isatty: bool, inc: int) -> None:
+    def printNode(self, node: Tree, isatty: bool, inc: int) -> None:
         rel_path = str(node.path.relative_to(self.path))
-        print('│   '*inc, end='')
-        if node.otype == DIRECTORY:
-            if node.pid:
-                print(colorize(rel_path, Color.blue) if isatty else rel_path,
-                      end='')
+        begin = '│   ' * inc
+        end = '/' if node.otype == DIRECTORY else ''
+
+        if isatty:
+            if not node.pid:
+                rel_path = colorize(rel_path, Color.red)
+            elif node.otype == DIRECTORY:
+                rel_path = colorize(rel_path, Color.blue)
+            elif node.otype == CONTENT:
+                rel_path = colorize(rel_path, Color.green)
+
+        print(f'{begin}{rel_path}{end}')
+
+    def getJsonChild(self):
+        child_dir = {}
+        for path, child_node in self.children.items():
+            rel_path = str(child_node.path.relative_to(self.path))
+            if child_node.pid:
+                child_dir[rel_path] = child_node.pid
             else:
-                print(colorize(rel_path, Color.red) if isatty else rel_path,
-                      end='')
-            print('/')
+                next_dir = child_node.getJsonChild()
+                if next_dir:
+                    child_dir[rel_path] = child_node.getJsonChild()
 
-        elif node.otype == CONTENT:
-            if node.pid:
-                print(colorize(rel_path, Color.green) if isatty else rel_path)
-            else:
-                print(colorize(rel_path, Color.red) if isatty else rel_path)
+        return child_dir
+
+    def writeToJson(self, filename):
+        with open(filename, 'w') as json_file:
+            json.dump(self.getJsonChild(), json_file)