Format XML Online
Format XML online with readable indentation so API payloads, feed data, config files, and structured markup are easier to inspect, debug, and reuse. Paste a minified or messy XML string and the formatter adds consistent indentation, aligns nested elements, and returns clean, human-readable output.
How to use XML Formatter
Paste or type content into the xml input panel.
Run the formatter to clean up spacing, indentation, and structure.
Copy or download the formatted result when it looks right.
Why this helps in real workflows
An XML API response or SOAP payload came back as a single unreadable line and needs formatting before you can inspect it.
A config or feed file has inconsistent indentation and you want clean, consistently-spaced XML before committing or sharing it.
You copied XML from a log, a browser network tab, or a CLI output and need it formatted for review.
An XML snippet from a CMS export or data pipeline needs to be cleaned up before pasting into a document or tool.
Common problems and fixes
The formatter returns an error on XML that looks correct.
XML is stricter than HTML — every opening tag must have a matching closing tag, attribute values must be quoted, and there can only be one root element. Check for unclosed tags, bare & or < characters outside of CDATA sections, or missing quotes around attribute values.
The formatted output has unexpected line breaks inside text content.
The formatter preserves existing whitespace inside text nodes. If your source XML has embedded newlines in text content, they will appear in the output. Trim them in the source before formatting if clean single-line text nodes are required.
I need to validate the XML, not just format it.
This tool formats well-formed XML and rejects invalid input with an error. Use the XML Validator if you specifically want a pass/fail validation result with an error message for schema or syntax problems.
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Frequently asked questions
How do I format XML?
Paste your XML into the input box, run the formatter, and copy or download the formatted XML output.
Does the XML formatter validate syntax?
Yes. Invalid XML is rejected and the page returns an error instead of broken output.
Is this XML formatter free?
Yes. It is free to use in your browser.
What is the difference between formatting XML and validating it?
Formatting adds readable indentation and consistent spacing to well-formed XML. Validation checks whether the XML follows syntactic rules — like matching tags, quoted attributes, and a single root element. This tool does both: it rejects invalid XML and formats valid input.
Can I format large XML files with this tool?
The formatter runs in your browser and handles typical API payloads and config files well. Very large XML files — several megabytes — may be slower to process due to browser memory constraints.
Will formatting change the meaning of my XML?
No. Formatting only adds whitespace between elements for readability. The structure, element names, attribute values, and text content are not changed.