XML Formatter
Format, beautify, and validate XML documents with proper indentation.
What is XML Formatter?
An XML formatter beautifies XML documents by adding proper indentation, organizing tags on separate lines, and validating syntax. This makes complex XML files easier to read and debug. The tool can also minify XML by removing unnecessary whitespace.
How to Use This Tool
- Paste your XML document in the input area
- Click 'Format' to beautify with proper indentation
- Or click 'Minify' to compress by removing whitespace
- Invalid XML will show an error message
- Copy the formatted output for your project
Common Use Cases
- Formatting API responses in XML format
- Beautifying configuration files for readability
- Validating XML documents for syntax errors
- Minifying XML for production use
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes XML invalid?
Common issues include mismatched or unclosed tags, missing root elements, improper nesting, invalid characters, and incorrect attribute syntax. The formatter validates syntax before beautifying.
What's the difference between XML and HTML?
XML is stricter: all tags must be closed, tags are case-sensitive, and attribute values must be quoted. HTML is more forgiving. XML is used for data, while HTML is for presentation.
Will formatting change my XML data?
Formatting only changes whitespace between elements. Your actual data, attributes, and structure remain exactly the same.