XML formatter
Indent and validate your XML, errors flagged.
- Instant
- Free
- Private (processed locally)
- No sign-up
Read an XML at a glance, and know if it’s correct
XML received from an API or exported from software often arrives on a single line. This tool indents it hierarchically — one element per level — and, at the same time, checks it is well-formed with the browser’s XML engine.
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Paste the XML
Compact, multi-line, badly formatted — whatever.
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Format
Hierarchical indentation appears, as does the validity status.
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Read the status
Valid XML in green, or a precise error message in red.
Common errors detected
- Unclosed tag:
without . - Bare ampersand: & instead of & in a value.
- Several root elements at the same level.
- Inconsistent case:
- closed by
.
“Well-formed” validation via DOMParser: covers nearly all syntax errors. Conformance to a specific XSD schema is not checked. Everything stays local, nothing is sent.
Frequently asked questions
How does validation work?
The tool uses DOMParser, the browser’s built-in XML engine — the same one that reads RSS feeds or SVGs. If it detects an error (unclosed tag, forbidden character, multiple roots), it flags it with a message; otherwise your XML is validated.
What’s the difference between well-formed and valid XML?
“Well-formed” means the syntax is correct: tags closed, nesting respected, a single root element. “Valid” in the strict sense adds conformance to a schema (DTD, XSD). This tool checks “well-formed”, which covers the vast majority of common errors.
Why is my XML rejected when it “works”?
HTML tolerates a lot of laxity (unclosed tags, free case), XML does not. A single <br> without /, a bare & instead of &, or two root elements is enough to make it invalid. The error message points to the cause.
Are attributes and order preserved?
Yes: indentation is purely visual. Tags, attributes, values and their order stay identical — only the whitespace between elements is reorganised for readability.