What is XML Formatter?

XML Formatter is a tool for converting unformatted XML into readable format with indentation and line breaks. Also called XML Beautifier, XML Prettifier, or Pretty Print XML.

Minified XML saves space but is impossible for humans to read. Formatting adds structure, making element hierarchy clear. Critical for SOAP, RSS, configs, XSLT.

Does the tool validate XML?

Yes, well-formedness is checked: tag closing, proper nesting, correct attributes. DTD and XSD validation is not performed — only syntactic correctness.

Are comments and CDATA preserved?

Yes. XML comments ( ), CDATA sections ( ), processing instructions ( ) are preserved during formatting.

Does it work with large files?

Yes, up to 10 MB. For very large XML (hundreds of megabytes), use xmllint or specialized XML editors (Oxygen XML, XMLSpy).

Is it safe to paste confidential data?

Yes. Formatting is done entirely in the browser. Data is not sent to the server. You can use it for configs with passwords and keys.

Are namespaces supported?

Yes. XML namespaces (xmlns, prefix:element) are fully supported and preserved during formatting.

How is XML different from HTML?

XML is stricter: all tags must close, attributes in quotes, case matters. HTML forgives errors. XML is for data, HTML for web page markup.

Where is XML used today?

SOAP APIs, RSS/Atom feeds, Android layouts, Maven/Gradle configs, Office documents (DOCX/XLSX are XML inside), SVG graphics, XSLT transformations, banking protocols.

How to format XML in command line?

xmllint --format file.xml (part of libxml2). Or Python: python -c "import xml.dom.minidom; print(xml.dom.minidom.parse('file.xml').toprettyxml())"

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XML Formatter

XML Formatter

Transform minified XML into readable format with proper indentation. Automatic syntax validation and formatting.

Options

Indent

Number of spaces for indentation

All About XML Formatting

When you need XML Formatter

When debugging SOAP responses, analyzing RSS feeds, working with Maven/Spring configs, exploring Office document structure. Formatting is the first step to understanding an XML document.

XML in modern development

JSON replaced XML in most APIs, but XML remains the standard in enterprise: SOAP, banking, EDI, government systems. Android layouts, Maven pom.xml, Spring configs — all XML.

Common XML errors

Unclosed tags, improper nesting, unquoted attributes, unescaped characters (&, <, >), BOM at file start, case mismatch between opening and closing tags.

Well-formed vs Valid XML

Well-formed means syntactically correct XML. Valid means conforming to a schema (DTD or XSD). The formatter checks well-formedness. Schema validation needs specialized tools.

Tools for working with XML

Oxygen XML Editor, XMLSpy (professional). VS Code with XML Tools. xmllint for command line. XPath/XSLT for transformations. Online formatters for quick tasks.

How to format XML

Paste XML

Enter XML in the text field or upload a file. Files up to 10 MB are supported.

Choose indent

Select indent size: 2 or 4 spaces. 2 spaces are more compact, 4 are more visual.

Copy result

Click "Format" and copy the formatted XML. Syntax errors will show problem description.

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