XML to JSON Converter

How to use the XML to JSON Converter

1. 1Paste your XML into the box on the left, or press Try a sample to see how it works.
2. 2Check the options above the boxes; they only show the ones that matter for XML to JSON.
3. 3Read the JSON output on the right. It updates as you type.
4. 4If an error appears, it names the line of the XML that could not be read; fix it and the output returns.
5. 5Press Copy result, or Download to save a JSON file.

Why people convert XML to JSON

The two formats suit different jobs. XML is a tag-based format where every value sits inside named opening and closing tags, with optional attributes; people meet it in older APIs, feeds, office documents and configuration files. JSON is a text format built from curly-brace objects, square-bracket lists, strings, numbers, true, false and null; people meet it in web APIs, app settings and browser code. A move from XML to JSON usually happens when data created in one place has to be used in another, and retyping it by hand would be slow and error-prone.

Elements become keys, repeated elements become a list, attributes appear with an at-sign style prefix and text inside the tags becomes the value. With the number option on, text such as 30 is turned into a number so that the JSON is easier to use in code.

How the XML to JSON conversion works

The tool first reads your XML into a plain structure of rows or objects, so it knows what is a key and what is a value. It then writes that structure again in the JSON style. Because nothing is guessed about the content, the values you see in the JSON are the ones that were in the XML.

A single child element stays an object, while two or more with the same name become an array.

• Paste the XML exactly as it is, including the header line if there is one.
• Use Try a sample to see how a small XML turns into JSON before using your own data.
• Read the JSON before you use it; check that special characters came through as you expect.

Tips for a clean JSON result

Start with tidy XML: the same keys or columns in every record give the neatest JSON. If your XML has stray blank lines or an inconsistent number of items, tidy them first, or the JSON will show empty values where something is missing.

Keep a copy of the original XML. The conversion works well for data, but formatting such as colours, formulas and comments belongs to the program that made the file and does not travel into plain JSON.

On phone and computer

On a computer, paste with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V, check the JSON and use Copy result. On a phone, long-press in the left box to paste, and use the Download button to save a JSON file you can send from the share menu.

The two boxes sit side by side on a wide screen and one above the other on a narrow one, so you can read both without zooming. Wide tables with many columns are easier to check on a computer, but short lists work fine on a phone. Once you have JSON, JSON Formatter makes it readable and JSON Validator checks it is valid. XML Formatter tidies the source file first, and Data Format Converter covers other pairs.

Features

• Converts XML to JSON as you type
• Clear error messages that name the problem in the XML
• Sample data to try first
• Copy result or download as a file
• Private: runs in your browser, nothing uploaded
• Works on phone and computer

Frequently asked questions