Our free XML formatter beautifies and formats XML data with proper indentation and line breaks. Essential for developers, data analysts, and anyone working with XML files, web services, configuration files, or data exchange to improve readability and debugging.
Using our XML formatter is simple and fast. Paste your XML data into the text area - it can be minified, poorly formatted, or all on one line. Click "Format XML" to automatically format the XML with proper indentation and line breaks, making the hierarchical structure clear and easy to read. The formatted XML appears in the same field with each element properly indented based on its nesting level. Click "Copy" to copy the formatted XML to your clipboard. The tool validates XML syntax and shows an error if the XML is invalid.
XML (Extensible Markup Language) is a markup language designed to store and transport data in a human-readable and machine-readable format. Unlike HTML which displays data, XML describes data structure and meaning. XML uses custom tags defined by the user or standard, making it highly flexible for different data types and industries. XML consists of elements enclosed in tags like <person><name>John</name></person>. Elements can have attributes, contain text, or nest other elements. XML is widely used in web services (SOAP, REST), configuration files, data exchange between systems, RSS feeds, SVG graphics, office documents (DOCX, XLSX), and Android app layouts.
Web developers format XML from SOAP web service responses to understand API data structures. Backend developers format XML configuration files (like web.xml, pom.xml, or .csproj files) for better readability. Data engineers format XML data feeds for parsing and analysis. Mobile developers format Android layout XML files and manifest files. RSS feed creators format XML to validate feed structure. SVG designers format SVG XML code for editing vector graphics. Microsoft Office users extract and format XML from DOCX or XLSX files to understand document structure. API developers format XML payloads when testing or debugging web services.
Visual Hierarchy: Formatted XML clearly shows parent-child relationships between elements through indentation, making complex nested structures easy to understand.
Easier Debugging: When XML has errors or unexpected data, formatted structure helps quickly identify issues by making the document structure clear and highlighting where problems occur.
Better Editing: Formatted XML is much easier to edit manually, especially when adding or modifying nested elements in configuration files.
Code Reviews: Teams working with XML benefit from consistently formatted files, making code reviews faster and reducing errors from misunderstanding structure.
Always use well-formed XML with properly closed tags - every opening tag must have a closing tag or be self-closing like <element/>. Use meaningful element and attribute names that describe the data. Maintain consistent naming conventions throughout your XML. Properly escape special characters: use < for <, > for >, & for &, " for ", and ' for '. Include XML declaration <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> at the top of documents. Use attributes for metadata and elements for data content. Validate XML against schemas (XSD) when working with standardized formats. Keep nesting levels reasonable - deeply nested XML becomes hard to work with.
XML and JSON both serve as data exchange formats but have different strengths. XML is more verbose but supports attributes, namespaces, and complex schemas (XSD), making it ideal for documents, configuration files, and enterprise systems. JSON is more compact and easier for JavaScript applications, making it popular for web APIs and modern applications. XML is self-documenting with schema validation, while JSON relies on documentation or JSON Schema. XML handles mixed content (text and elements together) better, important for document markup. JSON is faster to parse in web browsers. Many legacy systems and enterprise software use XML, while modern web applications prefer JSON.
SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) web services use XML for request and response messages. XML defines the message structure, method calls, and data types. While many modern APIs use JSON and REST, XML is still prevalent in enterprise systems, legacy integrations, and industries like healthcare (HL7), finance (FIX), and government. RSS and Atom feeds use XML to syndicate content. Sitemap.xml helps search engines discover website pages. Web service specifications like WSDL (Web Services Description Language) use XML to describe service interfaces.
Valid XML follows syntax rules (well-formed) and optionally conforms to a schema (valid). XSD (XML Schema Definition) defines the structure, data types, and constraints for XML documents. DTD (Document Type Definition) is an older schema format. Schemas ensure XML data matches expected format, crucial for data exchange between systems. When receiving XML from external sources, validate against schema to catch data errors early. Many development tools and libraries include XML validation features.
All XML formatting happens locally in your browser using the DOMParser API. We never send your XML data to our servers, ensuring complete privacy for configuration files, API responses, or any sensitive data. The tool processes XML instantly and works offline once the page is loaded.