XML Formatter & Validator

Paste XML to validate, format with proper indentation, or minify. Syntax highlighted with error detection.

</> Format XML

Indent:
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Output

What is XML?

XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a markup language designed for storing and transporting structured data. Unlike HTML, XML lets you define your own tag names, making it suitable for a wide variety of data formats. XML is used in RSS feeds, SVG graphics, SOAP web services, configuration files, and enterprise data interchange.

XML is strict: every opening tag must have a closing tag, tag names are case-sensitive, attribute values must be quoted, and special characters (&, <, >) must be escaped. This strictness makes XML unambiguous to parse but more verbose than alternatives like JSON.

XML vs JSON

XML supports attributes, namespaces, comments, processing instructions, and mixed content (text interleaved with elements). It has mature ecosystem support with XSLT, XPath, XQuery, and XML Schema (XSD).
JSON is lighter, maps directly to data structures in most languages, and is the standard for modern REST APIs. JSON is easier to read and write for simple data, but lacks XML's document-oriented features.

Use XML when you need document validation (XSD), transformation (XSLT), or when working with systems that require it (SOAP, RSS, SVG). Use JSON for APIs, configuration, and general data interchange.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an XML formatter?
An XML formatter adds proper indentation and line breaks to XML, making it readable. It can also validate XML structure, checking for errors like unclosed tags and mismatched nesting.
How do I validate XML?
Paste your XML into this tool. It automatically validates using the browser's XML parser and shows either a green checkmark or the exact error message with location.
What causes XML parse errors?
Unclosed tags, mismatched tag names, unescaped special characters, missing root element, and improperly nested elements are the most common causes.
What is the difference between XML and HTML?
XML is strict and extensible (you define your own tags). HTML has predefined tags and is more forgiving. XML is for data; HTML is for web pages.
How do I minify XML?
Click Minify to remove whitespace between tags and produce the most compact representation, reducing file size for data transfer.