LangStop

XML Formatter & Converter

Paste your XML in the left pane, choose an action, and see the result on the right.

What is XML?

XML (eXtensible Markup Language) is a markup language used to store and transport data in a structured, text-based format. It is both human-readable and machine-readable, and was designed to be self-descriptive and platform-independent.

XML organizes data using custom tags and nested elements, allowing developers to define their own schemas for data representation. It is commonly used in web services, configuration files, document storage, and communication between systems.

Unlike HTML, which has predefined tags, XML allows you to define your own tags based on the data you want to represent. This flexibility makes it suitable for use cases like RSS feeds, Sitemaps, SOAP APIs, Office document formats, and more.

Key Characteristics of XML:

  • Self-descriptive: XML contains both data and the structure describing the data.
  • Custom tag definitions: You can define your own tags and structure.
  • Supports nested data: Easily models hierarchical relationships.
  • Platform-independent: Can be used across different systems and applications.
  • Text-based format: Easy to edit, debug, and version-control.

XML is still widely used in enterprise systems and government platforms, despite the rise of JSON in modern web development.

Why Format XML?

Why Format XML?

Raw XML can often be difficult to read, especially when it is minified or compressed into a single line.Formatting XML (also called pretty-printing) structures the content with proper indentation and line breaks, making it much easier to understand and work with.

Benefits of Formatting XML:

  • Improved readability: Proper indentation makes nested tags and data hierarchy easier to follow.
  • Easier debugging: Well-formatted XML helps you spot missing or misnested tags quickly.
  • Better collaboration: Teams can more easily review, comment, and edit structured XML documents.
  • Cleaner version control: Changes in formatted XML are easier to track in diffs and commits.
  • Standardization: Makes your XML consistent and professional, especially in APIs and config files.

Whether you're working with RSS feeds, SOAP requests, Sitemaps, or Android layouts, a formatted XML structure helps avoid errors and saves time.

Common Use Cases of XML

XML has been widely adopted across industries for representing, storing, and exchanging structured data. Its extensible nature and platform neutrality make it ideal for long-term, stable use in both enterprise and modern systems.

  • Configuration Files: Many applications, IDEs, and frameworks use XML for storing configurations (e.g., pom.xml in Maven, web.xml in Java EE).
  • Web Services (SOAP): XML is the primary format for SOAP-based APIs in enterprise and legacy systems.
  • Data Interchange: XML is used for structured data sharing between systems, especially when a strict schema is required.
  • Document Storage: Formats like Office Open XML (.docx, .xlsx) and OpenDocument (.odt) rely on XML under the hood.
  • RSS and Atom Feeds: Blogs, podcasts, and news sites use XML to publish content updates in standard formats.
  • Sitemaps: Search engines like Google use XML sitemaps to crawl and index websites efficiently.
  • UI Layouts: Android apps define UI structure using XML in layout files like activity_main.xml.
  • Industry Standards: Domains like finance, healthcare, and publishing use XML-based schemas (e.g., XBRL, HL7, DITA).

While modern APIs often use JSON, XML remains critical in environments that demand strong validation, schemas, and structured document workflows.

XML Syntax

XML uses a structured, tag-based syntax that is similar to HTML but more strict and customizable. It is designed to represent hierarchical data with clear opening and closing tags, making it ideal for structured data exchange and storage.

Basic Syntax Rules:

  • Elements: Every piece of data is wrapped in custom tags. Example: <name>John</name>
  • Root Element: An XML document must have exactly one root element that wraps all other content.
  • Tags must be properly closed: All elements must have a matching closing tag or be self-closing. Example: <line-break />
  • Case-sensitive: XML is case-sensitive, so <Name> and <name> are different.
  • Attribute values must be quoted: Example: <user id="123" role="admin" />
  • Special characters must be escaped: Characters like <, >, and & must be replaced with their entity equivalents.

Example:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<user>
  <id>101</id>
  <name>Jane Doe</name>
  <email>jane.doe@example.com</email>
  <roles>
    <role>admin</role>
    <role>editor</role>
  </roles>
</user>

A well-structured XML document is both machine-readable and human-friendly. Following proper syntax ensures your XML can be validated and parsed reliably.

What is an XML to JSON Converter?

An XML to JSON Converter transforms structured XML data into JSON format. This is especially useful when integrating with APIs, tools, or platforms that require JSON input instead of XML.

Why Convert XML to JSON?

  • Modern development stacks: JSON is the preferred format for JavaScript, REST APIs, and web apps.
  • Streamlined data manipulation: JSON is easier to work with in JavaScript and frontend frameworks.
  • Simplified integration: Convert XML from legacy systems to JSON for use in modern microservices and frontends.
  • Cleaner formatting: JSON is more concise and human-friendly compared to deeply nested XML.

How to Use the Tool

  • Paste your XML content into the left editor.
  • Click the “XML to JSON” button located between the two editors.
  • View the converted JSON instantly in the right-hand editor.

The tool parses your XML, converts it into a structured JSON format, and handles attributes, nested elements, and arrays automatically. It’s perfect for developers working on data migration, API bridging, or transforming legacy feeds.

What is an XML to YAML Converter?

An XML to YAML Converter allows you to transform structured XML data into YAML (YAML Ain’t Markup Language). YAML is a widely used format in DevOps, cloud configuration, and backend services due to its readability and simplicity.

Why Convert XML to YAML?

  • Simplify configurations: YAML is more compact and readable than verbose XML.
  • DevOps & CI/CD pipelines: YAML is the standard format in Kubernetes, GitHub Actions, and cloud platforms.
  • Modernize data formats: Convert legacy XML to YAML for compatibility with modern stacks.
  • Reduce noise: YAML avoids angle brackets and closing tags, making it easier to scan and edit.

How to Use the Tool

  • Paste your XML into the left editor.
  • Click the “Convert to YAML” button located between the editors.
  • View the generated YAML in the right-hand editor instantly.

The tool parses your XML input, detects element structures and attributes, and maps them to equivalent YAML key-value pairs, arrays, and nested objects. It’s perfect for developers transitioning from XML-heavy environments to modern YAML-first workflows.

What is an XML Minifier?

An XML Minifier removes unnecessary whitespace, line breaks, and indentation from XML content to produce a compact, single-line version. Minified XML is ideal for reducing file size, improving transmission efficiency, or embedding in production environments where readability isn't a priority.

Why Minify XML?

  • Reduce file size: Smaller XML files consume less bandwidth and load faster in client-server interactions.
  • Optimize for production: Clean, single-line XML is easier to embed into scripts, headers, or compact data streams.
  • Improve performance: Lightweight XML is faster to parse, especially in mobile or embedded systems.
  • Strip formatting safely: Minification removes only visual whitespace, without changing the data or structure.

How to Use the Tool

  • Paste your formatted XML into the left editor.
  • Click the “Minify XML” button between the two editors.
  • View the minified XML output instantly in the right editor.

The minifier preserves your data and tags exactly as-is—only whitespace and line breaks are removed. It’s a fast, safe way to compress XML for APIs, logs, or data exports.

Need more tools? Try our JSON to XML Converter or JSON Diff Tool.

How It Works

  1. Paste or type your code into the left editor panel.
  2. Choose an action — Format, Minify, Validate, or Convert.
  3. Click the Action Buttons above to process your input.
  4. The result appears instantly in the right-hand editor.
  5. Use the toolbar to copy, download.
What is Base64?

Base64 is a binary-to-text encoding scheme that represents binary data (such as images, files, or any byte stream) in an ASCII string format. It is commonly used to transmit data over media that are designed to handle textual data, like email (MIME), HTML, or JSON APIs.

The term “Base64” comes from the fact that it uses a set of 64 characters (A–Z, a–z, 0–9, +, /) to represent binary data in a text-safe format. Padding is added with = characters to maintain alignment.

While Base64 increases the size of the encoded data by about 33%, it ensures compatibility when embedding or transmitting binary content through systems that only support text, such as web APIs, cookies, or HTML documents.

Common Use Cases:

  • Embedding images in HTML or CSS: Convert image files to Base64 for inline display in src or background-image attributes.
  • Data URIs: Used in emails or documents where images must be embedded directly in the content.
  • Storing small files in JSON: Convert binary files (e.g., PDFs or profile pictures) to Base64 for embedding in JSON or form data.
  • Encoding authentication data: Used in Basic Auth headers (e.g., Authorization: Basic <base64-credentials>).
  • Cross-platform transmission: Ensures binary data remains intact during transport over protocols like HTTP or SMTP.

Base64 is not encryption — it’s an encoding mechanism. It should not be used to secure sensitive data but rather to safely represent it in text-based formats.

Base64 Syntax

Base64 encodes binary data using a fixed set of 64 ASCII characters: uppercase A–Z, lowercase a–z, digits 0–9, and the symbols + and /. The output is a continuous string of characters, often padded with one or two = symbols at the end to ensure proper alignment.

Character Set:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZabcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz0123456789+/

Padding:

Base64 output is always in multiples of 4 characters. If the input doesn’t evenly divide into 3-byte chunks, the output is padded with = (one or two) characters:

  • 1 byte input → 2 Base64 characters + == padding
  • 2 byte input → 3 Base64 characters + = padding
  • 3 bytes input → 4 Base64 characters (no padding)

Example:

Original: Hello Base64: SGVsbG8=

Base64 is line-break-free by default, but MIME and PEM formats may insert line breaks after every 76 characters. Many tools allow toggling line breaks for compatibility.

What is a Base64 Encoder?

A Base64 Encoder converts plain text, binary files, or other data into a Base64-encoded string. This is useful for safely embedding data into environments that only support ASCII text, such as HTML, CSS, email, or JSON payloads.

Why Use a Base64 Encoder?

  • Embed images and files: Encode images or documents for inline use in HTML or CSS using Data URIs.
  • Transmit binary data: Safely send files, PDFs, or images via text-based protocols like HTTP, SMTP, or WebSocket.
  • Authentication: Create encoded tokens or credentials for use in APIs (e.g. Basic Auth headers).
  • Store data: Embed files inside JSON objects, database fields, or configuration files.

How to Use the Tool

  • Paste your text or binary content into the left editor.
  • Click the “Base64 Encode” button between the editors.
  • View the Base64-encoded output in the right-hand editor instantly.

The tool automatically handles line breaks, padding, and character conversion, making it ideal for developers working on file uploads, API integrations, or secure token generation.

What is a Base64 Decoder?

A Base64 Decoder converts Base64-encoded strings back into their original form—whether that’s plain text, binary files, or media content. This is essential when working with encoded data embedded in HTML, APIs, or data streams that require decoding before use.

Why Use a Base64 Decoder?

  • Restore embedded content: Decode images, fonts, or files that have been encoded for web use or transmission.
  • Read API responses: Decode Base64-encoded data received from third-party APIs or cloud services.
  • Handle credentials: Decode Basic Auth headers or encoded keys during authentication debugging.
  • Extract original files: Decode files embedded in JSON, email attachments (MIME), or scripts.

How to Use the Tool

  • Paste your Base64 string into the left editor.
  • Click the “Base64 Decode” button between the editors.
  • View the decoded output in the right-hand editor instantly.

The decoder handles proper character conversion, padding, and line-break normalization to accurately reconstruct the original input. It’s especially useful for developers debugging web requests, dealing with binary file uploads, or decoding user data in APIs.

What is a Base64 to Image Converter?

A Base64 to Image Converter transforms a Base64-encoded string into a visual image. This is useful for decoding images embedded in HTML, CSS, JSON, or data URIs and previewing or downloading them in their original format.

Why Use This Tool?

  • Preview embedded images: Instantly view images stored in Base64 format (e.g., from emails, APIs, or web forms).
  • Extract visuals from HTML or CSS: Decode data:image/png;base64,... strings into viewable/downloadable images.
  • Debug media encoding: Validate that your Base64 image data is valid and renders properly.
  • Convert to downloadable files: Save Base64-encoded images as PNG, JPG, or SVG files for reuse.

How to Use the Tool

  • Paste your Base64 string (starting with data:image/...) into the left editor.
  • Click the “Generate Image” button located between the editors.
  • Preview the decoded image in the right panel, and optionally download it.

This tool supports PNG, JPEG, SVG, GIF, and WebP formats. It's ideal for frontend developers, email template designers, and anyone working with inlined media content.

Need more tools? Try our JSON to XML Converter or JSON Diff Tool.