Data
JSON to XML Converter
Convert any JSON value into a clean XML document, handy for systems that still consume XML.
Written by Jay Sudha · Published · Last updated
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How this tool handles files
- Processing
- In your browser, on-device
- Storage
- Nothing stored
- Output
- A file you download
- Your responsibility
- Review before official use
- Runs in your browser. Your file is processed on your own device and, on this site, is not uploaded to our servers.
- Nothing is stored. Your file and its output are gone the moment you close or reload the page.
- Review sensitive files (bank, ID, medical) and check the output before sharing it.
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Common uses
- Build XML payloads from JSON sources
- Generate XML test fixtures
Limitations
- Element names are derived from object keys
Where JSON-to-XML fits in real work
This converter takes a JSON value and rewrites it as an XML document, entirely in your browser. The most common reason to reach for it is integration: many enterprise systems, SOAP endpoints, legacy ERP imports, and older configuration loaders still expect XML, while the data you already have arrives as JSON from an API or a database export. Pasting that JSON here gives you a structured XML representation you can hand to those systems without writing a one-off script.
It also suits everyday developer and data-prep tasks: turning a JSON fixture into XML to test a parser, generating sample XML for documentation, or inspecting how a nested JSON structure maps onto an element tree. Students and admin staff dealing with a system that only accepts XML uploads can use it to convert small records by hand.
Because nothing is uploaded, it suits JSON with internal fields you would rather not paste into a server-side service; the trade-off is a simple, predictable structure.
How the conversion runs and what it produces
The flow is paste, convert, then copy or download. You paste a JSON value (an example is provided to show the expected shape), the tool runs the conversion in the page, and you get XML output you can copy to the clipboard or save as an .xml file. Every step happens client-side via the page's own conversion code.
The output always begins with the declaration <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>. Object keys become element tag names and arrays inside an object are emitted as repeated sibling elements that reuse the key. The document always has exactly one root: a top-level object is wrapped in <root> (or, when it has a single key holding an object, that key becomes the root), and a top-level array becomes <root> with one <item> per entry. The output is indented two spaces per level, text is escaped for &, < and >, and any character in a key that is not a letter, digit, underscore, hyphen or dot is replaced with an underscore; a key starting with a digit gets a leading underscore, so every tag is valid.
It is deliberately limited in scope. It does not emit XML attributes, namespaces, comments, CDATA sections, or a schema/DTD, and it has no options to control wrapping, attribute mapping, or pretty-print indentation. It is a structural transform of values into elements, not a configurable XML serializer.
Limitations and easy-to-miss pitfalls
The input must be valid JSON, since it is parsed before conversion. A trailing comma, a single-quoted string, an unquoted key, or a stray comment will cause the parse to fail rather than producing partial output. Paste the value itself, not a JSON string wrapped in extra quotes.
Type information is not preserved. Numbers, booleans, and null all become plain element text, so 0, false, and an empty string can look identical once converted, and null produces an empty element. JSON object keys that contain spaces or other symbols are rewritten with underscores, which means two different keys can collapse to the same tag name, and keys that begin with a digit gain a leading underscore (2fa becomes _2fa). Review renamed elements if a strict consumer expects exact names.
Very large JSON documents are transformed in browser memory, so extreme inputs can be slow or hit memory limits; for repeated or bulk conversion, use a script.
Parse the XML in the tool that will receive it
Open the generated XML and confirm it parses cleanly in your target tool or a validator. Check that the element names match what the receiving system expects, that repeated arrays produced the sibling structure you wanted, and that special characters such as ampersands and angle brackets were escaped correctly. Spot-check a few values to make sure numbers and booleans still read sensibly as text and that no key was unexpectedly renamed with an underscore.
If the consuming system needs attributes, namespaces, a specific root element, or a fixed schema, expect to adjust the output by hand or post-process it, since this tool does not generate those. Treat the result as a structural starting point rather than a drop-in match for a strict contract.
For official or financial data, compare the XML with the source JSON and the destination's requirements before submitting it.
Frequently asked questions
Each key becomes an element and its value becomes that element's content. Nested objects nest as child elements, so the JSON tree is mirrored in the XML tree.
Array items repeat under the same element name, which is the standard way to express a list in XML. A top-level array becomes <root> with one <item> per entry, so the document still has a single root. The order of items is preserved.
Keys are sanitised to valid XML element names: characters that aren't allowed in a tag become underscores, and a key starting with a digit gets a leading underscore (2fa becomes _2fa).
No. The conversion runs in your browser; your text or file is processed on your own device and, on this site, is not uploaded to a server, and we do not intentionally store it.
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Tool last reviewed: September 27, 2026 · Report a problem