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XML Formatter online

Format and prettify XML with proper indentation - also minifies

XML Formatter / Beautifier logo
by
CHUNKY
MUNSTER
// XML input

How to Use This Free Online XML Beautifier Tool

  1. Paste XML into the input area.
  2. Click Format to indent elements with configurable depth (2 or 4 spaces).
  3. Click Minify to strip all non-essential whitespace from the XML.
  4. The validator reports any well-formedness errors with their line and column numbers.

XML Formatter: prettify and format XML with proper indentation instantly for better debugging and code review. This utility acts as a professional XML beautifier tool, transforming minified or messy data into a clean, human-readable structure. Whether you're working with SOAP responses, SVG files, or Android resources, our engine ensures every element is correctly nested and indented according to your preferences.

Deep Dive into our XML Structural Validator

Our prettify xml online engine goes beyond simple spacing. It functions as a robust XML structural validator, utilizing the browser's native DOMParser to detect well-formedness errors like unclosed tags or invalid nesting. By providing clear error reporting with line numbers, it helps you quickly fix broken data before you indent XML for production. This clean xml tool runs entirely in your browser, ensuring your data remains private while you perform high-speed XML pretty print operations on even the largest configuration files.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes XML not well-formed?

Common causes: unclosed tags (<item> without </item>); tags not properly nested (overlapping); more than one root element; missing quotes around attribute values; reserved characters (<, &) in text content without escaping; or an invalid XML declaration at the top.

What is the difference between XML and HTML?

HTML is a markup language for human-readable documents; browsers are lenient with malformed HTML. XML is strict - every violation causes a parse error. XHTML is a strict XML-conforming variant of HTML. SVG and MathML are XML vocabularies used inside HTML5 documents.

How do I include a < or & character in XML text?

Use entity references: &lt; for <, &gt; for >, &amp; for &. Inside a CDATA section (<![CDATA[...]]>), these characters can appear literally without escaping.

What is an XML namespace?

A URI that disambiguates element and attribute names from different vocabularies when combined in one document. The namespace is declared with xmlns="uri" or xmlns:prefix="uri". Used extensively in SOAP, SVG, and Office Open XML formats.

Whether you're debugging a sitemap or auditing an enterprise feed, this utility provides the clarity you need. Bookmark this page for the next time you need a fast XML Formatter.

// deep diveRead the guide →