Formatters

XML Formatter/Validator

Format, validate, and minify XML documents online

XML Input

Indent type

Indent size

Self-closing

Attributes

Quotes

XML declaration Remove comments Remove whitespace nodes

About

XML formatter supporting indent options of 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs with minification mode that strips all whitespace. Removes XML comments optionally, controls self-closing element style (<tag/> vs. <tag></tag>), sorts attributes alphabetically, chooses single or double quotes for attribute values, toggles XML declaration inclusion, and validates well-formedness with error reporting.

XML files from different sources have wildly inconsistent formatting. This tool normalizes any XML to a consistent style while validating its structure, helping teams maintain readable and uniform XML across their projects.

Who should use this tool?

Backend developers, configuration engineers, DevOps practitioners, and anyone who creates or maintains XML configuration files, data exchanges, or SOAP messages.

Common use cases

Format a minified XML API response into readable indented XML for debugging
Minify an XML config file before deployment to save space in a container image
Sort attributes alphabetically in all elements for consistent markup
Strip comments from an XML file before sharing it with external partners
Validate an XML string for well-formedness with precise error line/column reporting
Standardize attribute quotes from single to double across an entire XML document

How to Use

Paste or type XML content into the input area.

Select indent: 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tab.

Toggle options: Remove Comments (strips ), Self-Closing (/> vs. <tag></tag>), Sort Attributes (alphabetical), Quote Style (single or double), and XML Declaration (include <?xml?> or not).

Click Format to process; the formatted output appears in the result panel.

Check the Validation section for well-formedness status — errors show line number, column, and description.

Click Copy to copy the formatted XML or Download to save as .xml file.

Examples

Input: "<root><item id=\"1\" name=\"test\"><![CDATA[hello]]></item></root>" (2-space indent, sort attributes, double quotes) → Output: "<root>\n  <item id=\"1\" name=\"test\">\n    <![CDATA[hello]]>\n  </item>\n</root>"

Input: invalid XML "<root><item>text</item>" → Validation: "Error at line 1 column 23: XML document must have a root element that encloses all content"

Best Practices

Always validate XML after formatting — formatting can surface hidden well-formedness issues
Use Sort Attributes for large configuration files to make attributes predictable
Remove comments before sharing XML externally to avoid leaking internal notes
Use 2-space indent for deeply nested XML to keep line lengths reasonable
Use Self-Closing style for empty elements to reduce file size

Common Mistakes

Assuming formatted XML is always valid — formatting does not fix well-formedness errors
Using tabs for indent in XML that will be processed by tools expecting spaces (or vice versa)
Removing the XML declaration when it is required by the consuming parser
Forgetting to handle CDATA sections — the formatter preserves them but does not validate their content
Sorting attributes in XML where attribute order is semantically meaningful (rare, but possible)

FAQ

Does it preserve CDATA sections? Yes

CDATA sections are preserved and indented as block content.

What validation checks are performed? Well-formedness checks: matching start/end tags, proper nesting, valid attribute syntax, entity references, and encoding declarations.

Can it format XML without a root element? No

the input must be well-formed XML with a single root element.

Does it handle namespaces? Yes

namespace prefixes and xmlns attributes are preserved and sorted along with other attributes.

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Learning Resources

Dive deeper with our comprehensive guides and tutorials.

XML Formatter/Validator - Beginner's Guide

5 min read

XML Formatter/Validator Advanced Techniques

8 min read

About

Who should use this tool?

Backend developers, configuration engineers, DevOps practitioners, and anyone who creates or maintains XML configuration files, data exchanges, or SOAP messages.

Common use cases

Format a minified XML API response into readable indented XML for debugging
Minify an XML config file before deployment to save space in a container image
Sort attributes alphabetically in all elements for consistent markup
Strip comments from an XML file before sharing it with external partners
Validate an XML string for well-formedness with precise error line/column reporting
Standardize attribute quotes from single to double across an entire XML document

How to Use

Paste or type XML content into the input area.

Select indent: 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tab.

Toggle options: Remove Comments (strips ), Self-Closing (/> vs. <tag></tag>), Sort Attributes (alphabetical), Quote Style (single or double), and XML Declaration (include <?xml?> or not).

Click Format to process; the formatted output appears in the result panel.

Check the Validation section for well-formedness status — errors show line number, column, and description.

Click Copy to copy the formatted XML or Download to save as .xml file.

Examples

Input: "<root><item id=\"1\" name=\"test\"><![CDATA[hello]]></item></root>" (2-space indent, sort attributes, double quotes) → Output: "<root>\n  <item id=\"1\" name=\"test\">\n    <![CDATA[hello]]>\n  </item>\n</root>"

Input: invalid XML "<root><item>text</item>" → Validation: "Error at line 1 column 23: XML document must have a root element that encloses all content"

Best Practices

Always validate XML after formatting — formatting can surface hidden well-formedness issues

Use Sort Attributes for large configuration files to make attributes predictable

Remove comments before sharing XML externally to avoid leaking internal notes

Use 2-space indent for deeply nested XML to keep line lengths reasonable

Use Self-Closing style for empty elements to reduce file size

Common Mistakes

Assuming formatted XML is always valid — formatting does not fix well-formedness errors

Using tabs for indent in XML that will be processed by tools expecting spaces (or vice versa)

Removing the XML declaration when it is required by the consuming parser

Forgetting to handle CDATA sections — the formatter preserves them but does not validate their content

Sorting attributes in XML where attribute order is semantically meaningful (rare, but possible)

FAQ

Does it preserve CDATA sections? Yes

CDATA sections are preserved and indented as block content.

What validation checks are performed? Well-formedness checks: matching start/end tags, proper nesting, valid attribute syntax, entity references, and encoding declarations.

Can it format XML without a root element? No

the input must be well-formed XML with a single root element.

Does it handle namespaces? Yes

namespace prefixes and xmlns attributes are preserved and sorted along with other attributes.

XML Formatter/Validator

About

Who should use this tool?

Common use cases

How to Use

Examples

Best Practices

Common Mistakes

FAQ

Related Tools

Same Category — Formatters

JSON Formatter

SQL Formatter

JavaScript Minifier/Beautifier

HTML Formatter/Validator

Popular Tools

Base64 Encoder/Decoder

JWT Decoder

URL Encoder/Decoder

Learning Resources

Share

XML Formatter/Validator

About

Who should use this tool?

Common use cases

How to Use

Examples

Best Practices

Common Mistakes

FAQ

Related Tools

Same Category — Formatters

JSON Formatter

SQL Formatter

JavaScript Minifier/Beautifier

HTML Formatter/Validator

Popular Tools

Base64 Encoder/Decoder

JWT Decoder

URL Encoder/Decoder

Learning Resources

Share