How to Format XML Documents

XML files are often minified or poorly formatted when received from APIs, configuration files, or generated tools. Properly formatted XML is essential for debugging, reviewing, and maintaining data structures. This guide covers how to format and validate XML documents.

Why Format XML?

• Readability. Proper indentation makes nested structures easy to follow visually.
• Debugging. Formatted XML makes it easy to spot missing closing tags, incorrect nesting, or attribute errors.
• Code review. Clean XML is essential when sharing configuration files or data schemas with your team.
• Version control. Formatted XML produces cleaner diffs in git, making changes easier to review.

Before and After

<!-- Before (minified) -->
<root><item id="1"><name>Widget</name><price>9.99</price></item></root>

<!-- After (formatted) -->
<root>
  <item id="1">
    <name>Widget</name>
    <price>9.99</price>
  </item>
</root>

How to Format XML Step by Step

1. 1Copy your XML. Paste the minified or raw XML into the input area of the ToolStack XML Formatter.
2. 2Format and validate. The formatter adds proper indentation and highlights any structural errors in your XML.
3. 3Copy or convert. Use the formatted output directly, or convert it to JSON if needed.

Try It: Format XML Online

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