What is an XML formatter?
An XML formatter (also called an XML beautifier) takes raw markup and rewrites it with consistent indentation and line breaks so the element hierarchy is visible at a glance. XML remains the backbone of countless integration formats: RSS and Atom feeds, SOAP web services, SVG graphics, Android layouts, Maven POM files, SAML assertions, and enterprise configuration exports. Unlike JSON, XML uses explicit opening and closing tags with attributes, which creates rich structure but also makes minified documents hard to read.
This tool restores that readability instantly. Paste minified or messy XML, choose your indentation style, and get cleanly nested output. The formatter validates well-formedness first — if a tag is unclosed or improperly nested, you see the error line before formatting proceeds. Copy the result, download a .xml file, or continue editing in the output panel. Everything runs locally in your browser.
How to use the XML formatter
- Paste your XML into the input panel. Click Load sample to try a small book catalog document.
- Choose indentation — 2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs.
- Click Format to beautify the document. Validation errors appear above the button with line numbers.
- Review the output — child elements are indented under their parents, and sibling elements align at the same depth.
- Copy or download the formatted XML.
Example
Before: minified catalog entry
<catalog><book id="bk101"><author>Matthew</author><title>XML Guide</title><price>44.95</price></book></catalog>After: formatted with 2-space indentation
<catalog>
<book id="bk101">
<author>Matthew</author>
<title>XML Guide</title>
<price>44.95</price>
</book>
</catalog>The book element's children and the id attribute are immediately visible. When debugging a SOAP fault or editing an RSS feed, that structure saves significant time.
Why formatting XML matters
XML documents are often generated by machines and consumed by humans during troubleshooting. A single-line SOAP response is nearly impossible to search for a fault code. A minified Maven POM hides dependency declarations in an unreadable wall of text. Formatting transforms these documents into navigable trees where you can spot duplicate elements, wrong namespace declarations, and unexpected attribute values.
Validation before formatting is critical. Unlike HTML, XML parsers stop at the first syntax error. By checking well-formedness upfront, this tool ensures you do not accidentally beautify a broken document and assume it is ready for production.
Common scenarios
- SOAP debugging — Expand envelope and body elements to locate fault strings and payload mismatches.
- RSS/Atom feeds — Format feed XML to verify item structure and publication dates.
- Config files — Beautify Spring, Maven, or Ant XML before code review.
- SVG inspection — Understand path and group nesting in exported vector graphics.
Related tools
- Validate XML without formatting using the XML Validator.
- Convert between data formats with YAML to JSON.
- Format similar markup with the HTML Formatter.