XML Formatter & Validator - Beautify XML Online
Format, validate, and minify XML with syntax highlighting and tree view. Fix XML errors and convert between formatted and minified output.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an XML formatter?
An XML formatter (also called XML beautifier or XML pretty printer) is a tool that takes XML documents and reformats them with proper indentation, line breaks, and consistent structure to improve readability. It transforms compressed or poorly formatted XML into clean, well-structured code that is easier to read, review, and debug.
How do I use this XML formatter?
Paste or type your XML into the input area, or upload an XML file (.xml, .svg, .xsd, .wsdl, .pom, .rss). Choose the Format tab to beautify or the Minify tab to compress. Select your preferred indentation level (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs). The tool automatically validates your XML and displays whether it is valid or invalid. Switch between Code view (with syntax highlighting) and Tree view (hierarchical structure) in the output panel. Click Copy to copy the result to your clipboard, or Download to save as an .xml file.
Is my XML data safe? Does it get sent to a server?
Your XML data is 100% safe and never leaves your browser. This tool processes all formatting, validation, and minification entirely on your device using the browser's built-in DOMParser API. No XML data is ever transmitted to any server, stored in any database, or logged anywhere. You can verify this by disconnecting from the internet — the tool works fully offline after the page loads.
What types of XML files are supported?
This formatter supports any well-formed XML document, including: standard XML files (.xml), SVG graphics (.svg), XSD schema definitions (.xsd), XSLT stylesheets (.xslt/.xsl), WSDL web service definitions (.wsdl), Maven POM files (pom.xml), RSS/Atom feeds (.rss, .atom), SOAP envelopes, Android manifests, Spring configuration files, .csproj/.vbproj project files, and any other XML-based format.
What is the difference between formatting and minifying XML?
Formatting (beautifying) adds proper indentation and line breaks to make XML documents human-readable. Each element appears on its own line with indentation reflecting the nesting depth. Minifying removes all insignificant whitespace between tags to produce the most compact XML possible, while preserving whitespace inside text content and CDATA sections. Minification is useful for reducing file size for transmission and storage.
How does the tree view work?
The tree view displays your XML document as an interactive hierarchical structure. Each XML element appears as a collapsible node showing the tag name and its attributes. You can click to expand or collapse individual nodes to focus on specific parts of the document. Element names appear in blue, attributes in purple, text content in default color, comments in gray, and CDATA sections in orange. Parent nodes display a child count badge so you can quickly gauge the complexity of each branch.
What happens if my XML has errors?
If your XML is not well-formed, the tool displays a clear error message with the line number and column where the error was detected. Common errors include: unclosed tags, mismatched tag names, missing attribute quotes, duplicate attributes on the same element, invalid characters in element names, and missing root element. Note that this tool validates well-formedness (XML syntax), not schema validity (conformance to XSD/DTD).
Code Examples
// Parse and validate XML using DOMParser
const parser = new DOMParser();
const doc = parser.parseFromString(xmlString, 'text/xml');
const error = doc.querySelector('parsererror');
console.log(error ? 'Invalid' : 'Valid');
// Format XML with indentation
function formatXml(xml, indent = ' ') {
let formatted = '';
let level = 0;
xml.replace(/>\s+</g, '><').replace(
/(<\/?[^>]+>)/g,
(tag) => {
if (tag.startsWith('</')) level--;
formatted += indent.repeat(level) + tag + '\n';
if (tag.startsWith('<') && !tag.startsWith('</') && !tag.endsWith('/>')) level++;
}
);
return formatted.trim();
}
// Minify XML
const minified = xml.replace(/>\s+</g, '><').trim();