Does it support both formatting and minifying?

Yes. The same input can be expanded into a readable tree or compressed by removing inter-tag whitespace, depending on the mode you pick.

Is my XML sent over the network?

No. Parsing and re-serialisation run in your browser, so even sensitive payloads such as SAML assertions stay local.

Are CDATA blocks preserved?

Yes. CDATA contents are kept verbatim and never re-indented. Processing instructions and comments are also retained.

What about namespaces and xmlns attributes?

Namespace declarations are kept on the elements where you put them. The formatter does not collapse, rewrite, or reorder namespace prefixes.

xml · DOMParser validation · indent · live

Format XML with smart indent

Pretty-print XML with DOM-validated input. Self-closing tags, processing instructions, and comments are preserved. Runs locally.

XML Formatter

Input

174 B

1 lines

Output

0 B

1 lines

Status

error

see panel

Ratio

0.00×

out/in

input · xml

output · formatted xml

ErrorDOMParser is not defined

Quick Start

How to format XML

The browser's DOMParser validates your input; if it's well-formed, the indenter walks tags and pads by depth.

01
Paste XML
Any XML — SOAP envelope, RSS feed, Maven POM, OOXML fragment.
Parsing runs through Prettier’s standalone bundle (or the language-specific equivalent) loaded lazily — no parser ships until the tool is opened.
xmlPrettierASTstandalonelazy
input · sourceraw · AST
```
<r><i/></r>
```
loaded · parsedAST · ready
02
Choose indent
Spaces per level — default 2. The formatter pads every nested tag.
Indent width, tab style, and print-width re-format through a memoised pass — switching 2 → 4 spaces never re-parses, only re-prints.
optionsindentprint-widthmemoisedlive
opts · optionsindent · live
```
indent = 2
```
options applied · livelive
03
Validate + reformat
DOMParser catches mismatched tags or stray characters — errors surface above output.
The formatter is deterministic and idempotent: running it twice produces byte-identical output, which keeps diffs and git noise to a minimum.
validateidempotentdeterministicdiff-cleanstable
out · formattedpretty · ready
```
<r>
  <i/>
</r>
```
formatted · liveidempotent
04
Copy or download
Grab the .xml file or copy. Source stays in your browser.
Download writes a Blob with the language-appropriate extension; copy uses navigator.clipboard.writeText so the output preserves all whitespace exactly.
exportclipboardbloblanguage MIMEclient-side
ok · copiedready · done
```
✓ Copied
```
shipped · ready to shipsuccess

Pro tips

Formatting tips that keep diffs sane

Pick one config and pin it

Inconsistent formatting causes diff churn. Commit .prettierrc / .editorconfig and enforce in CI.

Format on save

Editor integration is faster feedback than a pre-commit hook. Use both for belt-and-braces.

Idempotency matters

Running the formatter twice should produce identical output. Test this on a representative file.

Match the language community

Default to community conventions: 2 spaces for JS/CSS, 4 for Python, tabs for Go. Fights over indent are a productivity tax.

Print-width drives wrapping

80, 100, and 120 are the common targets. Wider lines parse fast but review slower side-by-side.

Don’t mix formatters and linters

Prettier handles whitespace; ESLint handles correctness. Disable overlapping rules to avoid fight-club configs.

Use Cases

When to format XML

SOAP responses, sitemaps, build configs.

SOAP debugging

Pretty-print a SOAP envelope captured from the wire. Idempotent: running the formatter twice produces byte-identical output, which is the foundation of a clean CI gate. Pair with a pre-commit hook so PRs arrive already formatted, focusing review on logic.

idempotent

Sitemap audit

Make a one-line sitemap.xml readable for inspection. Pairs with EditorConfig + .prettierrc for end-to-end consistency. Whitespace-only changes vanish so reviewers see real diffs, and git blame stays honest about who wrote what.

CI-ready

Build configs

Format pom.xml or web.config for review. Output respects your indent width, tab style, and print-width — settings carry over for repeat runs. Switching 2-space to 4-space costs nothing in CPU but standardises an entire codebase.

diff-clean

RSS / Atom feeds

Indent feeds returned from CMS endpoints. Format-on-save is the fastest feedback loop; CI is the safety net. Together they make inconsistent indentation a thing of the past and free up review cycles for genuine concerns.

PR-friendly

OOXML inspection

Open the XML parts of a .docx and make them legible. Whitespace-only changes don't trigger downstream content-hash invalidations, so CDN cache keys and CI cache layers stay warm. Real changes get all the rebuild budget.

review-ready

Config triage

Diff XML configs from two environments with consistent indent. Pairs with linters (ESLint, Stylelint, pylint) that catch what formatting alone can't — bugs, unused imports, dead code. Each tool stays in its lane, and the codebase stays clean.

deterministic

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Does it validate against a schema?

No — it checks well-formedness (matched tags, valid escapes). Schema validation requires the XSD.

What about CDATA?

Preserved verbatim. Whitespace inside CDATA isn't touched.

Processing instructions?

<?xml ?> and other <?...?> blocks are kept on their own line and not indented as children.

Comments?

Preserved exactly where they appear in the source.

Is anything sent to a server?

No — formatting runs entirely in your browser.

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