About this XML formatter
This free online XML formatter uses the browser's built-in DOMParser to parse your XML and then re-serializes it with consistent 2-space indentation. If the XML is invalid, a clear error message is shown — including the specific problem the parser encountered — so you can fix it quickly. The Minify button does the reverse: it strips all whitespace between tags to produce the most compact possible representation, useful when XML is sent over a network and size matters.
When to format vs. minify XML
Use Format when you are working with XML manually — debugging an API response, editing configuration files, or reading data from another system. Proper indentation makes the structure of nested elements immediately visible and is essential for spotting mismatched tags or incorrectly nested elements. Use Minify when you need to reduce payload size for transmission or storage — for example, before embedding XML data in a network request or source file where human readability isn't needed.
Common uses for XML
Despite JSON's popularity, XML remains widely used in many domains: SOAP web services, RSS and Atom feeds, Android layout files, SVG images, Microsoft Office document formats (DOCX, XLSX), Maven and Maven project files, Spring Framework configuration, Ant build files, and many enterprise integration platforms. Being able to quickly format or validate XML without leaving the browser saves time when debugging these systems or reviewing data.