XML formatter, parser and structure audit
Paste XML to validate parsing, beautify or minify the document, inspect namespaces, attributes, duplicate IDs, text nodes, element paths and profile-specific checks for sitemaps, feeds, SOAP envelopes, SVG snippets and configuration files.
Syntax validation runs with the browser XML parser. This page does not validate custom XSD business rules, but it makes the structure easier to review before schema validation.
XML formatting is still useful for modern technical work
XML has never really disappeared. It still powers XML sitemaps, RSS and Atom feeds, SOAP integrations, payment exports, product feeds, SVG files, configuration documents and enterprise APIs. The problem is that raw XML often arrives minified, nested deeply or mixed with namespaces that make the actual structure hard to read. A good XML formatter should do more than add line breaks. It should confirm that the document parses, show the root element, expose namespaces, list attributes, reveal repeated paths and point out profile-specific issues before another system rejects the file.
This XML formatter uses the browser XML parser for syntax validation, then builds a practical audit around the parsed document. You can beautify or minify output, review the element tree, inspect attributes, find duplicate ID values, count comments and CDATA nodes, check sitemap loc values, review feed essentials and copy a compact report for a ticket. That is more useful than a plain pretty printer when you are debugging a sitemap in Search Console, checking an RSS feed, documenting a SOAP request or cleaning a configuration file.
How to use the XML audit
Start with the summary. If the parser fails, fix the first syntax error before formatting. XML is strict: one unclosed tag, an invalid entity or mismatched nesting can invalidate the entire document. If parsing succeeds, switch to the tree and attribute tabs. The tree shows where repeated elements live. The attribute view helps spot missing IDs, namespace declarations and values that should not be duplicated. The namespace tab explains which prefixes are present and where default namespaces are used.
- Formatted XML gives a readable version for review or a compact version for transport.
- Element tree lists paths, depth, children and text previews.
- Attributes exposes repeated IDs and important values that are easy to miss.
- Namespaces separates prefixes, default namespaces and URI values.
- Profile checks add practical hints for sitemaps, feeds, SOAP/API payloads and SVG.
Validation beyond formatting
Formatting proves that the XML is well-formed, not that it is correct for every receiving system. A sitemap can be valid XML while still containing non-canonical URLs. A feed can parse while missing useful metadata. A SOAP request can be well-formed but fail because an operation namespace is wrong. An SVG can parse while still containing unsafe or unwanted elements for a publishing workflow. Use this page as the quick structure pass, then use XSD validation, feed validators, Search Console, API sandboxing or application tests when the receiving system has stricter rules.
Common questions
Does this validate against an XSD?
No. It validates XML syntax and audits structure in the browser. XSD validation depends on a schema file and rules outside this formatter.
Why does namespace handling matter?
Two elements can share the same local name while belonging to different namespaces. SOAP, SVG and sitemap documents often rely on namespace URIs, not just visible prefixes.
Can I use this for sitemaps?
Yes. It can parse the sitemap, count loc values and flag common URL issues. For final indexing checks, still use Search Console and your sitemap analyzer workflow.
What is the difference between well-formed and valid XML?
Well-formed means the syntax is correct: closed tags, one root, proper nesting. Valid means it also conforms to a schema or DTD. A formatter checks well-formedness.
Why does my XML fail to parse?
Common causes: an unclosed or mismatched tag, more than one root element, an unescaped and, less-than or greater-than character, or an invalid character encoding.
How do I escape special characters in XML?
Replace and with the ampersand entity, less-than with lt, greater-than with gt, and quotes with their entities, or wrap raw content in a CDATA section.
