How is this different from xmllint or VS Code's built-in formatter?

Both work, but each has friction. xmllint is a CLI you must install and remember flags for; VS Code's formatter requires the file to be inside a workspace and an XML extension installed. This tool is a single browser page — paste, click, copy. Same DOMParser engine the browser uses for AJAX, so the validation matches what your runtime will see.

Will my CDATA, comments, namespaces, and processing instructions be preserved?

Yes, all four. The formatter walks the parsed DOM and emits each node type explicitly: elements with their attributes in source order, CDATA sections wrapped in ` `, comments wrapped in ` `, processing instructions wrapped in ` `, and the XML declaration (if present in the input) preserved at the top.

Does this validate against an XSD or DTD schema?

No — only well-formedness (matching tags, quoted attributes, no stray ampersands, etc). Schema validation requires loading external .xsd / .dtd files and is beyond what the browser DOMParser provides. For XSD validation use xmllint with --schema flag locally, or dedicated tools like Oxygen XML Editor.

Is my XML uploaded to a server?

No. Every byte stays in your browser tab. There is no network request, no logging, and no analytics on the content you paste. Open DevTools → Network while using the tool to verify zero requests. You can safely paste SOAP responses, signed XML, or anything containing tokens.

Why does my XML show "no element found" even though it looks fine?

Three common causes. (1) XML must have exactly one root element — two siblings at the top will fail. Wrap them in a parent element. (2) An invisible BOM (byte-order mark) or whitespace before the `<?xml` declaration. Strip leading bytes. (3) HTML entities like ` ` are not defined in raw XML — use ` ` or declare them in a DTD.

Debugging a SOAP fault buried in a single-line response

Your integration partner returns a 4KB SOAP envelope on one line and the Faultstring is somewhere in the middle. Paste it, hit format with 4-space indent, and the soap:Fault block lines up under soap:Body so you can read faultcode and detail at a glance instead of squinting at a wall of angle brackets.

Cleaning up a Maven pom.xml before a code review

A merge left your pom.xml with mixed 2-space and tab indentation and one dependency block on a single line. Paste it, pick 2 spaces, copy the result back. Comments above each dependency stay put and the XML declaration on line 1 is preserved, so the diff stays small and the reviewer sees only the real change.

Validating an RSS feed that a reader refuses to load

Your podcast feed 404s in one app but works in another. Paste the feed XML here; DOMParser flags the exact line where an unescaped & in a title broke well-formedness. Change it to & and re-validate in two seconds, no need to push to the server and re-test the reader.

Shrinking a config payload before pasting into a chat or ticket

You need to attach a 30-line Spring XML config to a Jira ticket but the formatting eats half the screen. Hit minify, the whitespace collapses to one compact line, and you paste it inside a code fence. When a teammate needs it readable again, they paste it back and format. No data ever left either browser.

XML Formatter & Validator — Pretty Print, Minify, Lint

Pretty-print, minify, and validate XML in your browser — preserves CDATA, comments, and namespaces.

Runs locally
Category Format Converter
Best for Turning pasted content or local files into a handoff-friendly format.

Indent:

Input

Output

Formatted output appears here.

What this tool does

Free online XML formatter and validator. Paste raw XML and get clean, indented output (2 spaces, 4 spaces, or tabs). One-click minify strips whitespace for transport. The browser's native DOMParser reports any syntax error with the exact line and column so you can fix invalid XML in place. CDATA sections, comments, processing instructions, and namespace declarations are preserved exactly — attributes keep their source order. 100% client-side: SOAP responses, config files, RSS feeds, and Spring/Maven XML never leave the tab.

Tool details

Input: Text + Numbers + Structured content; The page exposes text boxes, numeric controls, file pickers, or structured inputs depending on the tool.
Output: Live result + Copy + Download; The result area focuses on usable output, with copy, download, or preview actions when supported.
Privacy: Browser-side processing; The main tool logic does not call an external API, so inputs normally stay in the current tab.
Save / share: No account required; Open the page and use it; whether results survive refresh depends on the tool.
Performance budget: Initial JS <= 25 KB; No WASM budget is declared, keeping the tool quick to open on mobile.
Best fit: Format Converter · Developer; Category and role tags drive related tools, internal links, and quick fit checks.

How to use

1. Input

Paste or drop your content into the tool panel.
2. Process

Click the button. All processing is local in your browser.
3. Copy / Download

Copy the result or download to disk in one click.

How XML Formatter & Validator fits into your work

Use it when the main problem is getting content from one practical format into another.

Conversion jobs

Turning pasted content or local files into a handoff-friendly format.
Previewing a conversion before you use it in a larger workflow.
Cleaning small format mismatches without opening a full editor.

Conversion checks

Try a small sample first when the source format is messy.
Check character encoding, separators, and line endings after conversion.
Keep the source until the converted output has been reviewed.

Good next steps

These links move the current task into a more complete workflow.

Real-world use cases

Debugging a SOAP fault buried in a single-line response
Your integration partner returns a 4KB SOAP envelope on one line and the Faultstring is somewhere in the middle. Paste it, hit format with 4-space indent, and the soap:Fault block lines up under soap:Body so you can read faultcode and detail at a glance instead of squinting at a wall of angle brackets.
Cleaning up a Maven pom.xml before a code review
A merge left your pom.xml with mixed 2-space and tab indentation and one dependency block on a single line. Paste it, pick 2 spaces, copy the result back. Comments above each dependency stay put and the XML declaration on line 1 is preserved, so the diff stays small and the reviewer sees only the real change.
Validating an RSS feed that a reader refuses to load
Your podcast feed 404s in one app but works in another. Paste the feed XML here; DOMParser flags the exact line where an unescaped & in a title broke well-formedness. Change it to & and re-validate in two seconds, no need to push to the server and re-test the reader.
Shrinking a config payload before pasting into a chat or ticket
You need to attach a 30-line Spring XML config to a Jira ticket but the formatting eats half the screen. Hit minify, the whitespace collapses to one compact line, and you paste it inside a code fence. When a teammate needs it readable again, they paste it back and format. No data ever left either browser.

Common pitfalls

Pasting a fragment with two top-level elements and expecting it to format. XML needs exactly one root; wrap siblings in a parent like <root>…</root> first or you get "no element found".
Assuming format means schema-valid. This checks well-formedness only, so a perfectly indented file can still violate its XSD. For XSD/DTD checks run xmllint --schema locally.
Leaving a BOM or blank line before <?xml. The declaration must be the first bytes; a hidden byte-order mark makes the parser reject the whole document even when it looks fine.

Privacy

Everything runs in your browser tab via the native DOMParser — no upload, no logging, no analytics on the XML you paste. The content is never put into the URL, so SOAP responses, signed XML, and config files with tokens stay local even when you share the page link. Open DevTools → Network to confirm zero requests carry your data.

FAQ

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XML Formatter & Validator — Pretty Print, Minify, Lint

What this tool does

Tool details

How to use

1. Input

2. Process

3. Copy / Download

How XML Formatter & Validator fits into your work

Conversion jobs

Conversion checks

Good next steps

Real-world use cases

Debugging a SOAP fault buried in a single-line response

Cleaning up a Maven pom.xml before a code review

Validating an RSS feed that a reader refuses to load

Shrinking a config payload before pasting into a chat or ticket

Common pitfalls

Privacy

FAQ

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