What this tool does
XML Formatter
Your input is sent to the server for this request and is not saved as a tool content record. Infrastructure logs may still record request metadata, so do not submit secrets.
Paste valid XML and format it with consistent line breaks and indentation for review or handoff. Correct parser errors first, and use a separate schema validator when the destination requires structural rules.
How to use this tool
How to use XML Formatter
Paste XML.
Run the formatter.
Copy the indented output.
Before and after example
XML Formatter example
Input
<root><item>Hello</item></root>Output
<root>
<item>Hello</item>
</root>Options, errors, and limitations
XML Formatter options and common errors
Parent category
Explore the Formatter Tools hub
Formatters and beautifiers for JSON, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and text cleanup.
FAQ
XML Formatter FAQ
Can an XML formatter format malformed XML?
A parser based formatter normally requires well formed XML. Missing closing tags, invalid characters, multiple root elements, or broken entity references must be corrected before the document can be formatted reliably.
Does formatting XML change namespaces?
A formatter should preserve namespace declarations and qualified element or attribute names. Reformatting may change whitespace around markup, but it should not alter the namespace URI semantics.
Can pretty printing XML add meaningful whitespace?
Yes. Indentation is represented as text whitespace between elements, and some XML applications preserve that whitespace. If mixed content or whitespace sensitive processing is involved, compare the parsed result before and after formatting.
Why do I get 'content is not allowed in prolog'?
That error usually means something appears before the expected XML document content, such as an unexpected byte order mark, stray character, invalid text, or misplaced declaration. Inspect the very beginning of the file and confirm the declared encoding.
Does an XML formatter preserve CDATA sections?
A good formatter should preserve CDATA content semantically, but serializers can differ in whether they retain the exact CDATA representation or output equivalent escaped text. If exact lexical preservation matters, verify with a sample first.
What happens to XML entities during formatting?
Built in entities should remain valid, but a parser may resolve or reserialize entity references depending on its configuration. External entities also have security implications and should generally be disabled for untrusted input.
Can attributes be reordered by an XML formatter?
Some serializers may output attributes in a different order. XML attribute order is not semantically significant, so applications should not rely on a specific attribute sequence.
Can I format a very large XML file in the browser?
Large XML documents may use significant memory because the browser often parses the entire document before generating formatted output. For very large feeds, logs, or exports, a streaming parser or command line formatter may be more suitable.
Is XML formatting the same as XML validation?
No. Formatting makes well formed XML easier to read, while validation can additionally check the document against an XSD, DTD, or other schema rules. A formatter may detect basic parse errors without verifying business or schema constraints.
Should I paste private XML into an online formatter?
Avoid uploading sensitive XML unless you trust how the tool processes and stores data. XML can contain customer records, credentials, internal endpoints, or other confidential values that should be handled carefully.