XML Formatter & Validator

Format, beautify, or minify XML instantly. Paste your XML and get clean, indented output.

Free to use. Runs in your browser.

Paste XML and click Format to pretty-print it with indented elements and line breaks. Validates structure and highlights parse errors.

Input XML

XML: Still Everywhere in 2025

XML might feel like a relic from the 2000s, but it's still deeply embedded in modern development. Android manifests are XML. RSS feeds are XML. SOAP APIs (still widely used in finance and healthcare) speak XML. SVG images are XML. Maven and Gradle configs use XML. If you work with enterprise software, you'll encounter XML daily.

Unformatted XML, a single line of nested tags, is virtually impossible to debug. This formatter adds proper indentation, line breaks, and consistent spacing so you can see the document structure at a glance. Paste messy XML, get clean output.

Everything runs in your browser. Your XML data never leaves your device, important when you're formatting API responses that contain production data.

XML vs JSON: When to Use What

Feature	XML	JSON
Readability	Verbose but self-documenting	Compact, easier to scan
Schema validation	XSD, DTD (powerful, mature)	JSON Schema (newer, less adopted)
Attributes	Supported (id="123")	No concept of attributes
Namespaces	Full namespace support	No namespaces
Comments	<!-- comments -->	Not supported
Parsing speed	Slower (DOM/SAX parsing)	Faster (native in JS)
Industry adoption	Enterprise, config, document markup	Web APIs, mobile, modern apps

What this means for you: Use JSON for new APIs and web apps. Use XML when interacting with enterprise systems, Android development, RSS feeds, or any system that requires schemas and namespaces. Both formats will coexist for decades.

Common XML Tasks

Debugging SOAP APIs

SOAP request and response bodies are XML. Format them to see the envelope, header, body, and fault elements clearly. Most SOAP errors are buried in deeply nested XML, formatting makes them visible.

Reading Android manifests

AndroidManifest.xml defines activities, permissions, and services. As apps grow, the manifest gets complex. Formatted XML shows the structure clearly and makes permission audits straightforward.

Editing SVG images

SVG files are XML. Format them to edit paths, colours, viewBox attributes, and groups manually. A single-line SVG from an export is uneditable, formatted SVG is just readable markup.

Config file management

Maven pom.xml, .NET web.config, and many CI/CD tools use XML configs. Formatted XML makes it easy to add dependencies, modify settings, and review changes in version control.

Where You'll Encounter XML

Context	File/Format	What It Contains
Android	AndroidManifest.xml	App permissions, activities, services
Java/Maven	pom.xml	Dependencies, build config, plugins
RSS/Atom	feed.xml	Blog posts, podcast episodes
SVG images	.svg	Vector graphics as XML markup
.NET	web.config, .csproj	Server config, project settings
SOAP APIs	WSDL, request/response	Enterprise API contracts and payloads

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How to use this tool

Paste your XML into the input area

Click Format for readable indented output, or Minify to compress

Copy the result to your clipboard

Common uses

Debugging SOAP API request and response payloads
Reading Android manifest and layout XML files
Formatting SVG images for manual editing
Cleaning up Maven pom.xml and config files

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is XML?

XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a markup language for storing and transporting structured data. It uses opening and closing tags with attributes, similar to HTML but with strict syntax rules. XML is self-describing, the tags define what the data means.

Is this tool safe?

Yes. All formatting happens locally in your browser using JavaScript. No data is sent to any server, stored, or logged. The tool works completely offline, safe for production data, API keys in config files, and sensitive payloads.

Can I minify XML too?

Yes. Click 'Minify' to remove all whitespace, newlines, and indentation from your XML. This produces the smallest possible representation while keeping the document valid. Useful for reducing payload size in API requests.

What's the difference between XML and JSON?

XML uses tags and attributes, supports schemas and namespaces, and allows comments. JSON is lighter, natively parsed in JavaScript, and dominant in modern web APIs. XML is still standard in enterprise systems, SOAP APIs, Android development, and document markup like SVG.

Why does my XML need formatting?

Unformatted XML, a single line of nested tags, is virtually impossible to debug. Proper indentation reveals the document structure, makes nesting relationships visible, and helps you spot missing closing tags or misplaced elements instantly.

Does formatting change the XML data?

No. Formatting only adds or removes whitespace between tags. The actual data, tag names, attributes, and document structure remain identical. The formatted and minified versions are semantically equivalent.

How do I validate XML?

This tool formats XML but doesn't validate against a schema. To validate, you need an XSD (XML Schema Definition) or DTD (Document Type Definition) validator. For quick checks, try pasting into an XML validator or use xmllint on the command line.

What causes 'not well-formed' XML errors?

Common causes: unclosed tags, mismatched case in tag names (XML is case-sensitive), unescaped special characters (& must be &), missing root element, or attributes without quotes. Unlike HTML, XML has zero tolerance for syntax errors.

Can I format SOAP XML responses?

Yes. SOAP envelopes are standard XML. Paste the full SOAP response including the Envelope, Header, and Body elements. Formatting makes it easy to find fault codes, response data, and nested elements in complex SOAP payloads.

How do I format SVG files?

SVG files are valid XML. Paste your SVG code and click Format. This is especially useful for SVGs exported from design tools like Figma or Illustrator, which often output everything on a single line.

What indent size should I use for XML?

2 spaces is the most common convention. 4 spaces is also popular, especially in Java/Maven ecosystems. Tabs are less common in XML. The default 2-space indent balances readability with keeping deeply nested documents from scrolling too far right.

Can I format XML with namespaces?

Yes. The formatter handles namespace prefixes (xmlns:soap, xmlns:xsi) and prefixed elements (soap:Body, xsi:type) correctly. Namespaces are treated as regular attributes and preserved exactly as written.

Results are for general informational purposes only and should be checked before use. They are not professional advice. See our Disclaimer and Terms of Service.