DataFormatter

JSON to XML Converter

Convert JSON to well-formed XML instantly. Paste your document above — object keys become element names, arrays become repeated tags, and values are escaped so the output parses everywhere. Runs entirely in your browser.

About this tool

What is it?
DataFormatter JSON to XML Converter is a free online tool that turns a JSON document into well-formed XML, mapping object keys to element names and arrays to repeated elements with text escaped automatically.
Who is it for?
Developers and integrators feeding JSON data into XML-based systems, legacy APIs, feeds or SOAP-style consumers.
What makes DataFormatter's tool different?
It escapes text and names correctly, reports invalid JSON clearly, and runs entirely in your browser so nothing is uploaded.

Input

Paste or type JSON, Base64, or plain text…

Paste or click a sample above — it will be detected automatically.

Quick start

  1. Paste a JSON object (for example an API response) into the editor — it converts to XML automatically.
  2. Scan the element names: each key maps to a tag, and arrays repeat their tag per item.
  3. Use Copy to grab the XML, or Download to save it as a .xml file.
  4. Feed it into your XML pipeline, feed file or integration target.

How JSON becomes XML

  • A top-level object renders inside a <root> element, one child element per key.
  • Nested objects produce nested elements at the matching depth.
  • Arrays repeat their element name once per item — no wrapper element is added.
  • Scalar values (strings, numbers, booleans, null) are written as element text.
  • Text and element names are escaped and sanitized, so output is always well-formed.

JSON to XML example

JSON input
{ "name": "Ada & Grace", "roles": ["admin", "dev"], "profile": { "level": 2 } }
XML output
<root>
  <name>Ada &amp; Grace</name>
  <roles>admin</roles>
  <roles>dev</roles>
  <profile>
    <level>2</level>
  </profile>
</root>

Handy for

Feeding JSON data into XML-based systems

SOAP endpoints, RSS/Atom feeds and legacy integrations often only accept XML. Convert your response JSON and post the markup without hand-writing a transform.

Migrating payloads into XSLT pipelines

XSLT transforms are built on XML input trees. Turning a JSON export into well-formed XML lets you reuse the same stylesheet pipeline on your JSON data.

Building fixtures for XML parsers

Mock XML feeds from real JSON so parsers and schema validators get realistic input during development — generated locally, so sample data stays private.

XML surprises

Invalid JSON: Expected double-quoted property name in JSON at position 13 (line 1 column 14)

Why: The pasted text isn't well-formed JSON — often a trailing comma or an unquoted key, which JSON permits nowhere.

Fix: Validate the document first with the JSON Validator to jump to the exact line and column, then convert the clean version.

<name>Ada &amp; Grace</name> parses as a different value

Why: Your original value contained & or <, which XML escaped in the output — that's correct, not a bug.

Fix: Keep the escaped form. Any XML parser unescapes &amp; back to & automatically when it reads the document.

A key like "first name" became first_name

Why: XML element names cannot contain spaces, so the converter sanitizes forbidden characters to _.

Fix: Rename JSON keys before conversion if you need a specific element name — or accept the sanitized form, which your XML tooling will read identically.

Pro tips

  • Validate the JSON first for the fastest loop — most conversion failures are syntax errors upstream.
  • Prefer short, legal XML names in your keys to avoid needless sanitization.
  • For tabular output instead, switch to JSON to CSV — arrays become spreadsheet rows.
  • Nothing you convert here is sent anywhere, so real customer data is safe to use.

Frequently asked questions

How does this tool turn JSON into XML?

Each object key becomes an element name, nested objects become child elements, and arrays become repeated sibling elements. Text values are written inside the element, with &, < and > escaped so the output is always well-formed XML.

What JSON shapes does it accept?

Any valid JSON works. A top-level object maps under a root element; a top-level array of objects emits one root element per item. Scalar, array and nested-object values all convert without losing data.

What happens to keys that are not valid XML names?

Element names are sanitized: characters that XML forbids in a tag name are replaced with _, and a name that would start with a digit is prefixed with _. So a key like "first name" becomes first_name in the output.

How are special characters in values handled?

Values are text-escaped per XML rules: & becomes &amp;, < becomes &lt; and > becomes &gt;. A value like "Ada & Grace" appears as Ada &amp; Grace in the XML.

Is my data uploaded anywhere?

No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser — the JSON you paste never leaves this page.

Can I also get YAML, CSV or Java from the same JSON?

Yes — the JSON Converters hub hosts every output target in one workspace, and dedicated pages cover JSON to Java, JSON to CSV and JSON to YAML.

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