diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType.test.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType.test.ts
index f957732cd4b..fc3767bc262 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType.test.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType.test.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import {
   convertFieldTypes,
   convertFieldTypeTransformer,
   fieldToTimeField,
+  ComplexFieldParserID,
 } from './convertFieldType';
 
 describe('field convert type', () => {
@@ -183,14 +184,14 @@ describe('field convert types transformer', () => {
     ]);
   });
 
-  it('will convert field to complex objects', () => {
+  it('will convert JSON fields to complex objects', () => {
     const options = {
       conversions: [
-        { targetField: 'numbers', destinationType: FieldType.other },
-        { targetField: 'objects', destinationType: FieldType.other },
-        { targetField: 'arrays', destinationType: FieldType.other },
-        { targetField: 'invalids', destinationType: FieldType.other },
-        { targetField: 'mixed', destinationType: FieldType.other },
+        { targetField: 'numbers', destinationType: FieldType.other, inputFormat: ComplexFieldParserID.JSON },
+        { targetField: 'objects', destinationType: FieldType.other, inputFormat: ComplexFieldParserID.JSON },
+        { targetField: 'arrays', destinationType: FieldType.other, inputFormat: ComplexFieldParserID.JSON },
+        { targetField: 'invalids', destinationType: FieldType.other, inputFormat: ComplexFieldParserID.JSON },
+        { targetField: 'mixed', destinationType: FieldType.other, inputFormat: ComplexFieldParserID.JSON },
       ],
     };
 
diff --git a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType.ts b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType.ts
index 967bdccaa38..abafe30ebe9 100644
--- a/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType.ts
+++ b/packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { dateTimeParse } from '../../datetime';
 import { ArrayVector } from '../../vector';
 import { fieldMatchers } from '../matchers';
 import { FieldMatcherID } from '../matchers/ids';
+import { Registry, RegistryItem } from '../../utils/Registry';
 
 export interface ConvertFieldTypeTransformerOptions {
   conversions: ConvertFieldTypeOptions[];
@@ -25,6 +26,10 @@ export interface ConvertFieldTypeOptions {
    * Date format to parse a string datetime
    */
   dateFormat?: string;
+  /**
+   * Format to parse a complex field as
+   */
+  inputFormat?: ComplexFieldParserID;
 }
 
 export const convertFieldTypeTransformer: SynchronousDataTransformerInfo<ConvertFieldTypeTransformerOptions> = {
@@ -100,7 +105,8 @@ export function convertFieldType(field: Field, opts: ConvertFieldTypeOptions): F
     case FieldType.boolean:
       return fieldToBooleanField(field);
     case FieldType.other:
-      return fieldToComplexField(field);
+      const parser = complexFieldParsers.get(opts.inputFormat ?? ComplexFieldParserID.JSON);
+      return fieldToComplexField(field, parser);
     default:
       return field;
   }
@@ -180,15 +186,11 @@ function fieldToStringField(field: Field): Field {
   };
 }
 
-function fieldToComplexField(field: Field): Field {
+function fieldToComplexField(field: Field, parser: ComplexFieldParser): Field {
   const complexValues = field.values.toArray().slice();
 
   for (let s = 0; s < complexValues.length; s++) {
-    try {
-      complexValues[s] = JSON.parse(complexValues[s]);
-    } catch {
-      complexValues[s] = null;
-    }
+    complexValues[s] = parser.parse(complexValues[s]);
   }
 
   return {
@@ -219,3 +221,32 @@ export function ensureTimeField(field: Field, dateFormat?: string): Field {
   }
   return fieldToTimeField(field, dateFormat);
 }
+
+/// Complex field parsing. Currently only JSON is supported, but more formats can be added
+/// by extending the ComplexFieldParserID enum and ComplexFieldParser interface.
+
+export enum ComplexFieldParserID {
+  JSON = 'json',
+}
+
+export interface ComplexFieldParser extends RegistryItem {
+  parse: (v: any) => any | null;
+}
+
+const jsonFieldParser: ComplexFieldParser = {
+  id: ComplexFieldParserID.JSON,
+  name: 'JSON',
+  description: 'Parse field as JSON',
+  parse: (v: any) => {
+    try {
+      return JSON.parse(v);
+    } catch {
+      return null;
+    }
+  },
+};
+
+/**
+ * Registry of complex field parsers, used with the ConvertFieldTypeTransformer.
+ */
+export const complexFieldParsers = new Registry<ComplexFieldParser>(() => [jsonFieldParser]);
diff --git a/public/app/core/components/TransformersUI/ConvertFieldTypeTransformerEditor.tsx b/public/app/core/components/TransformersUI/ConvertFieldTypeTransformerEditor.tsx
index 456761e5c5c..86fe09864d4 100644
--- a/public/app/core/components/TransformersUI/ConvertFieldTypeTransformerEditor.tsx
+++ b/public/app/core/components/TransformersUI/ConvertFieldTypeTransformerEditor.tsx
@@ -10,7 +10,11 @@ import {
   TransformerUIProps,
 } from '@grafana/data';
 
-import { ConvertFieldTypeTransformerOptions } from '@grafana/data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType';
+import {
+  ComplexFieldParserID,
+  complexFieldParsers,
+  ConvertFieldTypeTransformerOptions,
+} from '@grafana/data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType';
 import { Button, InlineField, InlineFieldRow, Input, Select } from '@grafana/ui';
 import { FieldNamePicker } from '../../../../../packages/grafana-ui/src/components/MatchersUI/FieldNamePicker';
 import { ConvertFieldTypeOptions } from '../../../../../packages/grafana-data/src/transformations/transformers/convertFieldType';
@@ -29,9 +33,11 @@ export const ConvertFieldTypeTransformerEditor: React.FC<TransformerUIProps<Conv
     { value: FieldType.string, label: 'String' },
     { value: FieldType.time, label: 'Time' },
     { value: FieldType.boolean, label: 'Boolean' },
-    { value: FieldType.other, label: 'JSON' },
+    { value: FieldType.other, label: 'Complex' },
   ];
 
+  const complexFormat = complexFieldParsers.selectOptions();
+
   const onSelectField = useCallback(
     (idx) => (value: string | undefined) => {
       const conversions = options.conversions;
@@ -68,6 +74,18 @@ export const ConvertFieldTypeTransformerEditor: React.FC<TransformerUIProps<Conv
     [onChange, options]
   );
 
+  const onComplexInputFormat = useCallback(
+    (idx) => (value: SelectableValue<ComplexFieldParserID>) => {
+      const conversions = options.conversions;
+      conversions[idx] = { ...conversions[idx], inputFormat: value.value };
+      onChange({
+        ...options,
+        conversions: conversions,
+      });
+    },
+    [onChange, options]
+  );
+
   const onAddConvertFieldType = useCallback(() => {
     onChange({
       ...options,
@@ -121,6 +139,22 @@ export const ConvertFieldTypeTransformerEditor: React.FC<TransformerUIProps<Conv
                 <Input value={c.dateFormat} placeholder={'e.g. YYYY-MM-DD'} onChange={onInputFormat(idx)} width={24} />
               </InlineField>
             )}
+            {c.destinationType === FieldType.other && (
+              <InlineField
+                label="Input format"
+                tooltip="Specify the format of the input field so Grafana can parse the field correctly."
+              >
+                <Select
+                  menuShouldPortal
+                  options={complexFormat.options as Array<SelectableValue<ComplexFieldParserID>>}
+                  value={c.inputFormat}
+                  defaultValue={complexFormat.options[0]}
+                  placeholder={'JSON'}
+                  onChange={onComplexInputFormat(idx)}
+                  width={24}
+                />
+              </InlineField>
+            )}
             <Button
               size="md"
               icon="trash-alt"