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XML Formatter Online — Free XML Beautifier, Validator & Minifier

XML Formatter

Format, minify, validate, and convert XML to JSON.

Free online XML formatter and beautifier. Paste your XML, choose indentation style (2 or 4 spaces, tabs), and format instantly. Validates XML structure with precise line and column error pointers. Minify XML for production use, or convert XML to JSON for easier processing. Supports XML namespaces, CDATA sections, processing instructions, and comments. Runs entirely in your browser — no data is ever sent to a server.

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Tags: xml, format, beautify, minify, validate, prettify, xml-to-json

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How to XML Formatter Online

  1. Paste your XML into the input area on the left, or upload an .xml file using the upload button. You can also drag and drop a file directly onto the input area.

  2. Choose your indentation style — 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs — to match your project's coding standards.

  3. Click the Format button or press ⌘↵ (Mac) / Ctrl+Enter (Windows) to beautify your XML instantly with syntax highlighting.

  4. Use Minify to collapse the XML to a single line for production, Validate to check for structural errors, or XML → JSON to convert to JSON format.

  5. Review validation errors with precise line and column pointers — click an error to jump directly to the problem location.

  6. Copy the formatted output with ⌘⇧C, download it as an .xml file, or use the Share button to generate a gzip-compressed shareable URL.

XML Formatter Features

  • XML formatter with configurable indentation: 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs to match your team's coding standards.

  • XML validator with precise line and column error reporting — each error pinpoints exactly where a structural problem exists.

  • XML minifier: collapses formatted XML to a single line by removing whitespace, comments, and unnecessary characters for production use.

  • XML to JSON converter: transforms your XML document into equivalent JSON, handling nested elements, attributes, and text nodes.

  • Namespace support: preserves all xmlns declarations including default namespaces, prefixed namespaces, and schemaLocation hints.

  • CDATA section handling: correctly formats and preserves CDATA blocks without modifying their content.

  • Processing instruction preservation: maintains XML processing instructions like <?xml version="1.0"?> exactly as specified.

  • Comment preservation and formatting: keeps XML comments intact and properly indented throughout the document.

  • Syntax highlighting with color-coded tags, attributes, values, namespaces, CDATA sections, comments, and processing instructions.

  • Shareable URLs: gzip-compresses your XML into a URL parameter so you can share documents with teammates without uploading anywhere.

  • Works entirely in your browser — no XML is ever sent to any server. Your data stays completely private on your machine.

  • Keyboard shortcuts for power users: ⌘⇧F to format, ⌘⇧M to minify, ⌘⇧V to validate, ⌘⇧K to clear.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this XML formatter free?
Yes, DevFlow XML Formatter is completely free with no usage limits. All formatting, minification, validation, and XML to JSON conversion runs directly in your browser — no account or signup required.
Is my XML data safe?
Your XML is processed entirely in your browser. No data is ever transmitted to a server, stored outside your browser, or accessed by anyone else. Your XML stays completely private on your machine.
What does XML formatting do?
XML formatting (also called XML beautifying or prettifying) takes compact, minified, or poorly indented XML and reformats it with consistent indentation, line breaks, and proper nesting. This makes the XML human-readable and easier to debug, review, and maintain.
What is XML minification?
XML minification removes unnecessary whitespace, line breaks, and comments from formatted XML to produce a compact, single-line document. Minified XML loads faster in applications, reduces bandwidth in data transfers, and is commonly used for production deployments and API responses.
What does XML validation check?
XML validation checks for structural correctness: well-formedness rules like properly matched opening and closing tags, correct attribute quoting, valid character data, and correct nesting of elements. Each error includes its type, message, and precise line and column location.
Can it handle XML namespaces and CDATA?
Yes. The formatter preserves all namespace declarations (xmlns, xmlns:prefix), handles CDATA sections without modifying their content, and maintains processing instructions. These special XML features are preserved during formatting, minification, and validation.
How does XML to JSON conversion work?
The XML to JSON converter maps each XML element to a JSON key. Nested elements become nested objects, repeated sibling elements become arrays, attributes become @-prefixed keys, and text content becomes a #value key. The output is valid JSON that represents your XML structure faithfully.
Can I upload an XML file?
Yes. Click the upload icon in the input panel header to select an .xml file from your computer. You can also drag and drop XML files directly onto the input area. The file contents are loaded for formatting.
Does it support SOAP, RSS, SVG, and WSDL files?
Yes. The formatter handles all standard XML vocabularies including SOAP envelopes, RSS feeds, SVG graphics, WSDL service descriptions, and any other well-formed XML. Namespace declarations are preserved so specialized XML documents keep their full semantic meaning.
Does it work offline?
Yes. All formatting, minification, validation, and conversion logic runs entirely in the browser as pure JavaScript. Once the page loads, the XML Formatter works without an internet connection — no network requests are made during processing.

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