XML Formatter & Validator

About the XML Formatter & Validator

Paste XML and get it re-indented with 2 spaces, 4 spaces or tabs, or find out why it is not well-formed. The document is read by the browser's XML parser, and when it fails the tool shows the parser's own error message.

Well-formedness is checked, not validity: the tool does not validate against a DTD or an XSD schema.

How to use it

1. Paste your XML into the Raw Input box, or press Sample XML.
2. Choose 2 Spaces, 4 Spaces or Tab.
3. Read the formatted output or the parser's error message, then Copy Output or Download it.

Worked example

Formatted with the 2 Spaces option.

<root><item id="1"><name>A</name></item></root>

<root>
  <item id="1">
    <name>A</name>
  </item>
</root>

Common mistakes and gotchas

• XML is strict: every opening tag needs a closing tag, tags must nest properly, attribute values must be quoted and there must be a single root element.
• Characters such as & and < inside text must be written as &amp; and &lt;. A bare ampersand is the most common reason a document fails to parse.
• Whitespace between tags is added or removed by formatting, so the output is meant for reading and diffing, not for byte-exact comparison or signatures.
• Namespaces and prefixes are preserved as written.

Frequently asked questions