XML Formatter
Format and validate XML documents with proper indentation and syntax highlighting.
Input
Output
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is XML Formatter used for?
XML Formatter beautifies and validates XML documents, making them readable and easy to debug. It adds proper indentation to nested elements and checks for syntax errors, which is essential when working with API responses, configuration files, or data exchange formats.
How does the validation work?
The tool uses the browser's built-in XML parser (DOMParser) to parse your XML. If the parser detects errors, it returns specific error information. This catches issues like mismatched tags, unescaped special characters, and malformed declarations.
What errors can the formatter detect?
The formatter identifies mismatched opening and closing tags, invalid XML declaration syntax, unescaped special characters like < or > in content, duplicate attributes on elements, and malformed entity references. Errors are displayed clearly in the output area.
How does the formatting handle nested elements?
The formatter tracks tag depth and applies consistent indentation at each level. Self-closing tags like <br/> are handled correctly, and nested structures maintain proper alignment regardless of how deeply they are nested.
Is my data sent to a server?
No. All formatting and validation happens locally in your browser using the native XML parser. Your XML documents, which may contain sensitive data or proprietary configurations, stay completely private on your device.
What keyboard shortcuts are available?
Press Ctrl+Enter (or Cmd+Enter on Mac) while in the input field to quickly format your XML. This allows rapid beautification during debugging or development workflows.