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Free Online XML Formatter & Validator — Beautify or Minify XML

Paste XML to format with proper indentation, minify for production, validate structure, and count nodes. Everything runs in your browser.

Invalid XML
XML Input
Output

DOMParser not available.

What Is XML Formatting?

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a structured document format used in APIs (SOAP, RSS, Atom), configuration files (Maven pom.xml, .NET config), and data interchange. Unlike JSON, XML supports attributes, namespaces, processing instructions, and mixed content.

Well-formatted XML is essential for readability and debugging. This tool parses your XML using the browser's built-in DOMParser, then serializes it back with consistent indentation. The minify mode strips all unnecessary whitespace to reduce payload size for production use.

The node counter gives you a quick structural overview — useful when working with deeply nested XML or validating that a transformation preserved all expected elements.

How to Use

  1. Paste your XML into the input area.
  2. Choose Beautify or Minify mode.
  3. For Beautify mode, select your preferred indentation level.
  4. Check the validation status and node count in the toolbar.
  5. Click Copy to grab the formatted result.

When You Need This

Reading API responses

SOAP APIs and RSS feeds return XML as a single line. Paste it here to see the structure clearly with proper indentation.

Minifying XML for production

Before embedding XML in a config file or sending it as a payload, minify to remove unnecessary whitespace and reduce transfer size.

Validating XML structure

Before processing XML programmatically, paste it here to check for unclosed tags, mismatched elements, or malformed attributes.

Comparing XML documents

Format two XML documents with the same indentation style, then use a diff tool to compare them line by line.

XML Best Practices

1.

Always close tags or use self-closing syntax

Unlike HTML, XML requires every tag to be explicitly closed. Use <element/> for empty elements instead of just <element>.

2.

Escape special characters in content

Characters like <, >, &, and " must be escaped as &lt;, &gt;, &amp;, and &quot; when they appear in text content or attribute values.

3.

Use a consistent naming convention

Whether you choose camelCase, PascalCase, or kebab-case for element names, be consistent throughout the document.

4.

Include an XML declaration

Start documents with <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?> to declare the version and character encoding explicitly.

Examples

Beautify compressed XML

Takes single-line XML and adds proper indentation.

Input

<root><item id="1"><name>Test</name></item></root>

Output

<root>
  <item id="1">
    <name>Test</name>
  </item>
</root>

Minify formatted XML

Removes whitespace for a compact representation.

Input

<root>
  <child>
    <item>text</item>
  </child>
</root>

Output

<root><child><item>text</item></child></root>

Limitations

  • Does not validate XML against DTD or XSD schemas — only checks well-formedness (matching tags, proper nesting).
  • Cannot handle very large XML files (>10MB) without performance degradation due to DOM parsing in the browser.
  • CDATA sections are preserved but not specially formatted. Processing instructions (<?...?>) are kept as-is.
  • Does not support XML namespaces resolution or prefix mapping — it formats the document structurally only.

Features

  • Beautify XML with configurable indentation (2, 4, or 8 spaces)
  • Minify XML by removing unnecessary whitespace
  • Real-time structural validation using DOMParser
  • Node count display for quick structural overview
  • Preserves XML declarations and processing instructions
  • 100% client-side, your XML never leaves your browser

FAQ

Is my XML data uploaded anywhere?

No. The tool uses your browser's built-in DOMParser to process XML. No server requests are made. Your data stays on your machine.

Does it support namespaces?

Yes. The DOMParser handles XML namespaces correctly. Namespace prefixes and declarations are preserved in the formatted output.

Why does my XML show as invalid?

Common issues: unclosed tags, mismatched tag names (XML is case-sensitive), unescaped special characters in content, or missing root element.

Can it format HTML?

This tool uses strict XML parsing. HTML that isn't valid XHTML (unclosed tags like <br>, <img>) will show as invalid. Use it for well-formed XML documents.

What counts as a "node" in the counter?

The counter counts element nodes only (opening tags). Text nodes, comments, and processing instructions are not counted.

Content last reviewed: June 2026

Your Privacy

All XML processing happens entirely in your browser. No data is uploaded to any server. Your XML documents never leave your device.

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