XML Formatter
Format, pretty-print, or minify XML code instantly in your browser.
XML Formatter Features
Fast, private XML formatting directly in your browser.
Switch between pretty-print and minify modes to expand or compress your XML.
Detects XML errors immediately and shows a clear error message.
Your XML never leaves your device. 100% private, no upload needed.
How to Convert Files
Upload your files, select output format, and download converted files instantly. Our converter supports batch conversion and maintains high quality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is XML formatting?
XML formatting (also called pretty-printing or beautifying) reorganizes XML code with consistent indentation and line breaks so it is easy for humans to read.
Unformatted XML is often a single long line with no whitespace, which is difficult to read and debug.
Formatted XML preserves the same data but adds indentation and newlines to show the hierarchy clearly.
What is XML minification?
XML minification removes all unnecessary whitespace, newlines, and indentation to produce the most compact possible XML string.
Minified XML is ideal for APIs and data transfer where file size matters and human readability is not required.
Our tool supports both formatting and minification in one click.
Does the formatter validate my XML?
Yes. The formatter uses the browser's built-in XML parser. If your XML is invalid it will show the exact parse error.
Common errors include unclosed tags, mismatched tags, and illegal characters.
Fix the error in the input and click Format again.
What indentation options are available?
You can choose 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or a tab character for indentation.
4 spaces is the most common convention for XML files.
Tabs are preferred in some code bases where tab width is configurable.
Is XML different from HTML?
XML and HTML look similar but serve different purposes. HTML is for presenting web content; XML is for storing and transporting structured data.
XML is stricter — all tags must be closed, attribute values must be quoted, and the document must have a single root element.
For formatting HTML use our dedicated HTML Formatter tool.
Can I format very large XML files?
Yes, within browser memory limits. Files up to several megabytes are processed instantly.
For very large files (100MB+) a server-side tool may be more appropriate.
Most XML files encountered in practice are well within browser limits.
Does formatting change the data?
No. Formatting only adds or removes whitespace. The actual data, element names, and attribute values are never changed.
The formatted XML is semantically identical to the original.
You can verify this by parsing both versions — they produce the same DOM tree.
Is my data private?
Yes. All XML processing happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No data is sent to any server.
This makes the tool safe to use with sensitive configuration files or proprietary data.
We do not log, store, or transmit any content you paste into the tool.