Free XML Formatter
Turn minified or messy XML into clean, indented markup. This free formatter validates well-formedness as it formats — reporting parse errors with details — and re-indents every element so nested structures are easy to follow.
Formatted XML
How to Use the XML Formatter
- Paste your XML into the input box.
- Choose your indentation: 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs.
- Click Format XML — valid XML is beautified instantly.
- Malformed XML shows the parser error so you can fix it.
Features
Validation uses the browser’s native DOMParser, so well-formedness checking matches real XML parser strictness — mismatched tags, bad entities, and encoding issues are all caught with the parser’s message. The formatter then re-indents elements, keeps attributes on their tags, preserves comments and CDATA sections, and reports element counts.
Benefits & Use Cases
Developers read SOAP responses, sitemaps, RSS feeds, and config files comfortably; integrators reformat vendor XML before diffing versions; anyone debugging XSLT sees structure clearly. Local parsing keeps proprietary payloads private.
Tips
If formatting fails, the error message usually names the line — check for unescaped & characters first, the most common XML mistake. Use the XML validator for a strict pass/fail verdict without reformatting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an XML formatter do?
It rewrites XML with consistent indentation and line breaks so nested elements form a readable tree. The data, attributes, and order are unchanged — only the layout improves.
What makes XML invalid?
Common issues: mismatched open/close tags, unescaped & or < in text, unquoted attributes, multiple root elements, and invalid characters. XML is strict — this tool reports the parser’s exact complaint.
Are namespaces and CDATA preserved?
Yes. Namespace prefixes stay on their elements and CDATA sections pass through untouched, so embedded scripts or markup inside CDATA are never reflowed.
Can it handle large XML files?
Yes, within browser limits — multi-megabyte sitemaps and feeds format fine. Extremely large files (tens of MB) may take a few seconds.
Is my XML uploaded anywhere?
No. Parsing and formatting run entirely in your browser — your data never leaves your device.
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