XML Formatter/Validator
Format and validate XML data
XML Formatter/Validator
Format, validate, and minify XML data
About XML Formatter
Format XML with proper indentation or minify to remove whitespace. The validator checks for well-formed XML syntax.
Privacy & Security
All XML formatting and validation happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your XML documents are never uploaded to our servers, transmitted over the network, stored in databases, or logged anywhere. This is crucial when working with XML containing sensitive data like API configurations, private RSS feeds, or confidential data exports. When you close the page, your XML is permanently erased from browser memory. Completely private and secure.
About XML Formatter
Format and validate XML documents with our free online XML formatter and beautifier. Whether you're a web developer working with REST APIs, a data analyst processing XML exports, a software engineer debugging SOAP responses, or a database administrator handling XML configurations, our tool instantly beautifies minified XML, validates syntax errors, and helps you understand complex XML structures. Perfect for formatting XML from APIs, configuration files, RSS feeds, and data interchange formats with proper indentation and error detection.
Key Features
Instant Formatting
Beautify minified or compressed XML with proper indentation in milliseconds
Syntax Validation
Detect and highlight XML syntax errors with detailed error messages and line numbers
Custom Indentation
Choose between 2-space, 4-space, or tab indentation for your preferred style
XML Minification
Compress formatted XML by removing whitespace and line breaks for smaller file sizes
Syntax Highlighting
Color-coded elements, attributes, values, and comments for easy reading
Tree View Display
Visualize XML structure as collapsible tree for navigating nested elements
Attribute Formatting
Organize element attributes on separate lines for complex XML documents
Error Detection
Instantly identify unclosed tags, invalid characters, and malformed markup
Copy & Download
Copy formatted XML to clipboard or download as .xml file for immediate use
Large File Support
Handle XML documents up to several megabytes without performance issues
How to Use the XML Formatter
Paste XML Code
Copy your minified, compressed, or unformatted XML and paste it into the input area
Choose Format Options
Select indentation style (2-space, 4-space, or tab) and formatting preferences
Format or Validate
Click 'Format' to beautify the XML or 'Validate' to check for syntax errors
Copy or Download
Copy the formatted XML to clipboard or download as a file for your project
Frequently Asked Questions
What is XML formatting and why is it important?
XML formatting (also called prettifying or beautifying) adds proper indentation, line breaks, and spacing to XML documents to make them human-readable. While computers can parse minified XML just fine, formatted XML is essential for developers to understand structure, debug issues, and maintain code. Proper formatting reveals the hierarchical relationship between parent and child elements.
Can this tool validate XML syntax?
Yes! The formatter automatically validates XML syntax as you format. It detects common errors like unclosed tags, mismatched opening/closing elements, invalid attribute syntax, illegal characters, and malformed declarations. Error messages show the exact line number and nature of the problem for quick debugging.
What's the difference between formatting and minifying XML?
Formatting (beautifying) adds whitespace, indentation, and line breaks to make XML readable by humans. Minifying removes all unnecessary whitespace and line breaks to create the smallest possible file size. Use formatting during development and debugging, and minifying for production to reduce bandwidth and improve load times.
Can I format large XML files?
Yes! The tool can handle XML documents up to several megabytes in size. For extremely large files (10MB+), formatting may take a few seconds depending on your browser and device performance. All processing happens in your browser, so no file size upload limits apply.
Does it support XML namespaces and attributes?
Absolutely! The formatter fully supports XML namespaces (xmlns), prefixes, attributes, CDATA sections, processing instructions, DOCTYPE declarations, and comments. Complex XML documents with multiple namespaces are formatted correctly while preserving all functionality.
Is this XML formatter free?
Yes! Our XML formatter is completely free to use with unlimited formatting and validation, no registration required.
Will my XML data be stored or shared?
No. All XML processing happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your XML data is never uploaded to our servers, stored in databases, logged, or transmitted anywhere. When you close the page, your data is permanently gone. Completely private and secure for sensitive XML documents.
Does it work on mobile devices?
Yes! The XML formatter is fully responsive and works on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers for formatting on the go.
Common Use Cases
- API Response Formatting: Beautify XML responses from REST and SOAP APIs for debugging and inspection
- Configuration Files: Format XML config files for applications, Maven pom.xml, and build scripts
- RSS/Atom Feed Editing: Format and validate RSS feeds, Atom feeds, and podcast XML for publishing
- SVG Code Formatting: Beautify SVG files for easier editing and understanding of graphic markup
- Data Export Processing: Format XML exports from databases, Excel, and enterprise software systems
- XSLT Development: Format XSLT templates and transformation files for better readability
- Sitemap Creation: Format and validate XML sitemaps for SEO and search engine submission
- Android Development: Format Android layout files, manifest.xml, and resource files for app development
Why Use Our XML Formatter?
Debugging minified XML from API responses or trying to understand complex XML configurations shouldn't require installing IDE plugins or desktop software. Our free XML formatter gives you instant beautification and validation right in your browser, transforming unreadable one-line XML into properly indented, syntax-highlighted code in seconds. Whether you're debugging a SOAP API error, formatting an XML configuration file, validating an RSS feed, or just trying to make sense of exported XML data, you'll appreciate the instant formatting, detailed error messages, and complete privacy. No more squinting at compressed XML or manually adding line breaks - just paste, format, and understand your XML structure immediately.