What happens if my XML isn't well-formed?

You'll see a clear error message instead of a formatted result.

Is my XML data uploaded anywhere?

No — formatting happens entirely in your browser.

Does formatting validate against a schema (XSD/DTD)?

No — it only checks that the XML is well-formed, not that it matches a specific schema.

Does this preserve CDATA sections and comments?

Yes — CDATA sections and comments are treated as self-contained units and preserved as-is.

Does formatting change the actual data?

No — only whitespace between tags changes; element names, attributes and text content remain the same.

Does this work on very large XML documents?

Yes, limited only by your browser's available memory.

JSON & Code Tools

XML Formatter

Paste minified or messy XML and get a clean, properly indented version.

Start Using This Tool

Runs in Your Browser
Instant Results
100% Private

Your Text

Indent size

Learn More

What Is an XML Formatter?

An XML formatter takes minified or inconsistently indented XML markup and rewrites it with clean, nested indentation, making the document's element hierarchy easy to follow at a glance.

It's particularly useful for XML returned by APIs, RSS feeds, or SOAP services, which is often minified for transport and hard to read without reformatting first.

Who Uses This Tool?

For Business

Inspect a minified XML API response or SOAP payload.

For Personal Use

Read an RSS feed's raw XML more easily.

For Students

Learn XML document structure for a web development course.

For Offices

Format an XML data export for easier manual review.

Why Use This Tool

Key Features

Custom Indent Size

Choose an indent size from 1 to 8 spaces.

Instant Formatting

Output updates immediately as you paste in XML.

Well-Formedness Check

Malformed XML is reported clearly instead of garbled output.

100% Private

Your data is never uploaded — formatting happens entirely in your browser.

The Payoff

Benefits

Instantly Readable

Turn minified XML into a clearly nested structure.

Spot Structure Issues Fast

A properly indented document makes missing or mismatched tags easier to notice.

Nothing Uploaded

Safe for sensitive data, since nothing leaves your browser.

Step by Step

How to Use XML Formatter

Paste Your XML

Add minified or messy XML into the input box.

Choose an Indent Size

Pick how many spaces to indent each level.

Copy the Formatted Result

Use the Copy or Download button to grab the result.

Specifications

Technical Details

Detail	Value
Input	Well-formed XML text
Processing	No practical limit — handled entirely by your browser
Output	Structural indentation based on nesting depth

You Can Verify This

Privacy & Security

What actually happens to your file when you use this tool.

100% Client-Side

This tool runs entirely inside your browser using JavaScript — nothing you type or generate is ever sent anywhere.

No Upload, Ever

There is no file upload and no server processing step — your data never leaves your device.

Works Offline

Once this page has loaded, the tool keeps working even without an internet connection.

Nothing Stored

Nothing you enter is saved on our servers — refreshing the page clears everything.

No Tracking of Your Input

We have no way to see what you type, generate or convert with this tool.

Get Better Results

Tips

Check Well-Formedness First

Use the XML Validator if formatting reports an error, to see the exact parser message.

Use 2 Spaces for Most XML Documents

2-space indentation is a common, compact convention for XML.

Frequently Asked Questions