What is an XML to JSON Converter?
Paste your XML and get JSON back in the same shape, which is handy when you're migrating a SOAP service to a REST API or just trying to feed a legacy feed into a JavaScript app.
XML still shows up in enterprise systems, document pipelines, and RSS-era feeds, while JSON dominates modern web APIs. This converter bridges the two so you can keep working in whichever format your runtime prefers.
Attributes, namespaces, and deeply nested structures are handled automatically; the output is clean, indented JSON you can drop straight into an editor or a fetch handler.
How to Use Our XML to JSON Converter
- Paste your XML data into the input editor or use the sample data button
- Configure your XML parsing settings (attribute handling, namespace handling, etc.)
- Preview the generated JSON in real-time
- Download the JSON file or copy to clipboard
Examples
Elements map to JSON properties, repeated sibling tags collapse into arrays, and attributes are kept under a configurable prefix so nothing is lost.
Example 1: Nested elements with repeated siblings
A simple catalog with two books of the same tag turns into an object whose book key is an array of two entries.
Input
<catalog>
<book>
<title>Refactoring</title>
<author>Martin Fowler</author>
</book>
<book>
<title>Clean Code</title>
<author>Robert C. Martin</author>
</book>
</catalog>Output
{
"catalog": {
"book": [
{ "title": "Refactoring", "author": "Martin Fowler" },
{ "title": "Clean Code", "author": "Robert C. Martin" }
]
}
}Example 2: Attributes plus text content
Attributes are stored under the @_ prefix and the element text lands under #text, so you keep both pieces of information side by side.
Input
<user id="42" role="admin">
<name>Alice</name>
<status active="true">online</status>
</user>
Output
{
"user": {
"@_id": "42",
"@_role": "admin",
"name": "Alice",
"status": {
"@_active": "true",
"#text": "online"
}
}
}XML specification reference
Quick reference from W3C XML 1.0. The converter enforces these rules on input; anything outside them is rejected or normalized.
| Element | Meaning | Example |
|---|
| Prolog | Optional XML declaration | <?xml version="1.0"?> |
| Element | Opening + closing tag wrapping content | <p>hi</p> |
| Attribute | name="value" on an opening tag | <a href="x"> |
| CDATA | Literal text including markup characters | <![CDATA[<x/>]]> |
| Entity | Five predefined: < > & " ' | & |
Common invalid forms
<b><i>bold italic</b></i> // overlapping elements
<tag> // missing closing tag
<a href=x> // attribute value not quoted
Key Features
Attributes become JSON properties with a configurable prefix (usually @) so nothing gets dropped, namespaces are preserved in the keys, and repeated sibling elements are automatically collapsed into arrays. That last part is where most naive converters get XML wrong.
- Real-time preview as you paste or edit
- One-click download or clipboard copy
Why Use Our XML to JSON Converter?
The converter is built to stay out of your way. For patching together services or digging through a legacy feed, you get:
- Privacy-focused:Your data never leaves your browser - we don't store any of your data on our servers
- Flexible parsing: Handle XML attributes, namespaces, and complex structures
- Clean output: Generate well-formatted, readable JSON
- Real-time preview: See your JSON before downloading
- No installation needed: Access our tool from any browser without downloading or installing anything
Common Use Cases
Converting XML to JSON is useful in various scenarios:
- API Integration: Convert XML responses to JSON for web applications
- Data Migration: Transform legacy XML data to modern JSON format
- Web Development: Process XML data in JavaScript applications
- Data Exchange: Convert between XML and JSON formats
- Testing: Generate JSON test data from XML sources
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How are XML attributes handled in JSON output?
XML attributes are converted to special keys in the JSON object, typically prefixed with "@" (e.g., "@id", "@class"). This convention clearly distinguishes attributes from child elements while preserving all original XML data in the resulting JSON structure.
Q: How are XML attributes handled during conversion?
XML attributes are converted into JSON properties with a configurable prefix (commonly "@" or "_"). This ensures that attribute data is preserved and distinguishable from child element data in the resulting JSON output.
Q: Does the converter support XML namespaces?
Yes, XML namespaces are supported. Namespace prefixes are preserved in JSON keys, allowing you to maintain the full semantic meaning of your XML data. You can also configure how namespaces are represented in the output.
Q: How are repeated XML elements converted to JSON?
When multiple sibling elements share the same tag name, they are automatically grouped into a JSON array. This ensures the structure accurately represents the original XML data without losing any repeated entries.
Q: Can I convert XML with deeply nested structures?
Yes. The converter handles arbitrarily nested XML elements and converts them into corresponding nested JSON objects. Complex hierarchies are preserved faithfully in the output.