XML Formatter
Format and beautify XML data
About XML Formatter
XML Formatter is a free browser-based tool that takes raw, minified, or poorly indented XML and reformats it into clean, properly indented, human-readable markup. XML is widely used in configuration files, data interchange formats, SOAP web services, RSS/Atom feeds, SVG graphics, and office document formats like DOCX and XLSX.
Extensible Markup Language (XML) is a flexible, structured format that requires strict adherence to rules: properly nested tags, closed elements, and valid attribute syntax. While XML validators check that these rules are followed, an XML formatter focuses on making valid XML readable by adding consistent indentation and line breaks.
Minified XML — common in API responses, SOAP envelopes, and automated exports — strips all whitespace to reduce data transfer size. When debugging an API integration or inspecting an exported configuration, developers need to restore this structure. Pasting the minified XML into this formatter instantly produces an indented tree structure that clearly shows the document hierarchy.
XML is the backbone of many enterprise integration patterns. SOAP web services exchange data as XML envelopes. CI/CD systems like Jenkins use XML for configuration (config.xml). Android app resources are defined in XML. Maven build configurations (pom.xml) and Spring Framework bean configurations are XML files. Developers working in any of these areas encounter XML daily.
The formatter validates the XML structure as it formats. If your XML contains mismatched tags, missing closing elements, or invalid characters, the tool reports the error with a line reference so you can locate and fix the problem immediately.
Configurable indentation size (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs) lets you match the output to your project's coding conventions. This is particularly useful when pasting formatted XML into configuration files that will be committed to version control.
All processing is done in your browser using the browser's built-in XML parsing APIs (DOMParser). Your XML is never uploaded to any server, making this safe for use with internal configuration files, credentials files, and proprietary data formats.
How to Use XML Formatter
- 1Paste your XML into the input area
- 2Choose your preferred indentation (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs)
- 3Click "Format" to beautify with proper indentation
- 4Copy the formatted XML or use the "Validate" option to check for errors
Frequently Asked Questions
XML formatting adds indentation and line breaks to make valid XML readable. XML validation checks that the XML structure follows the rules: properly nested tags, a single root element, closed tags, and valid character encoding. This tool does both — it validates the XML structure and then formats it.
Yes. SOAP envelopes are XML documents. Paste the raw SOAP envelope from an API log or network inspector and the formatter will indent the entire structure including the Envelope, Header, and Body elements.
Common reasons include unclosed tags, mismatched element names (XML is case-sensitive), missing quotes around attribute values, or special characters (like < > &) that are not properly escaped as < > &. The error message will indicate the problem location.
No. All formatting and validation uses the browser's built-in DOMParser API. Your XML never leaves your device.
Yes. SVG is XML-based, so SVG source code can be formatted with this tool. This is useful when inspecting or editing SVG files exported from design tools like Figma or Illustrator.
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