XML Validator
Check if your XML is well-formed. Get instant error messages with exact locations.
XML Validator Features
Instant, private XML validation in your browser.
Validates all XML syntax rules including tag nesting, attribute quoting, and single root element.
When XML is invalid, shows the precise error message from the browser's XML parser.
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 validation?
XML validation checks whether an XML document follows the rules of the XML specification.
The minimum requirement is that XML must be well-formed — correct syntax, closed tags, and a single root element.
Additional validation against a schema (DTD or XSD) checks that element names and structure match a defined format.
What are common XML errors?
The most common errors are unclosed tags (forgot ), mismatched tags, and special characters like & and < that must be written as & and <.
Other common issues include attributes without quotes and multiple root elements.
Our validator gives the exact error message from the XML parser so you can quickly find and fix the issue.
What is the difference between well-formed and valid XML?
Well-formed XML follows the basic XML syntax rules. Any XML parser can read it.
Valid XML additionally conforms to a DTD or XML Schema (XSD), which defines what elements and attributes are allowed.
This tool checks well-formedness. For schema validation you need a server-side tool.
Why does my XML need a root element?
XML documents must have exactly one root element that contains all other elements.
If you have multiple top-level elements, wrap them in a single container element.
For example, wrap multiple
How do I escape special characters in XML?
Five characters must be escaped in XML: & → &, < → <, > → >, " → ", ' → '.
Failing to escape these characters is the most common cause of XML parsing errors.
Alternatively use CDATA sections: to include unescaped text.
Is my data private?
Yes. All XML validation happens in your browser using the built-in DOMParser API.
No data is sent to any server. This makes the tool safe for sensitive configuration files.
We do not log, store, or transmit any content you paste into the tool.
Can I validate XML with namespaces?
Yes. The browser's XML parser fully supports XML namespaces.
Make sure namespace declarations (xmlns: attributes) are correct and prefixes are properly declared.
Undeclared namespace prefixes will cause a validation error.
What does the green success message show?
When your XML is valid, a green banner shows the root element name and total element count.
This confirms that the document is well-formed and can be parsed by any standard XML parser.
You can then use a formatter or other tool to further process your validated XML.