XML Formatter
Format and pretty-print XML with indentation and line breaks.
Minified or poorly indented XML is nearly impossible to read or debug. This formatter parses your XML, validates the syntax, and outputs clean, properly indented markup that reveals the hierarchical structure at a glance. It handles namespaces, CDATA sections, and deeply nested elements.
Your result will appear here...
How to Format XML
- Paste your XML — paste minified or messy XML content.
- Click Format — the tool parses the XML and applies proper indentation and line breaks.
- Check for errors — syntax errors are highlighted with line numbers and descriptions.
- Copy the result — use the formatted XML in your code, config files, or documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I format XML? ▼
Formatted XML is dramatically easier to read and debug. Proper indentation reveals the hierarchical structure of elements, making it simple to find missing closing tags, incorrect nesting, and data errors. Minified XML saves bandwidth but is unreadable by humans.
Does formatting change the XML data? ▼
Formatting adds whitespace (indentation and line breaks) between elements but does not change the data content. In most XML usage, insignificant whitespace is ignored by parsers. However, in whitespace-sensitive contexts (like code inside CDATA sections), be cautious.
What is well-formed XML? ▼
Well-formed XML follows all basic syntax rules: every opening tag has a closing tag, tags are properly nested, attribute values are quoted, element names are case-sensitive, and there is exactly one root element. This tool validates well-formedness during formatting.
What is the difference between XML and HTML? ▼
XML is a data format with strict syntax rules — all tags must be closed, attribute values must be quoted, and elements are case-sensitive. HTML is more forgiving — browsers render even imperfect HTML. XML is used for data exchange; HTML is for web page structure.
Can this tool handle large XML files? ▼
The tool runs in your browser and can handle XML files up to several megabytes efficiently. For very large files (50MB+), performance depends on your device. For such files, consider command-line tools like xmllint or Saxon.
Is my XML stored? ▼
No. All formatting happens in your browser. No data is sent to any server.