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XML to JSON Converter

XML to JSON Converter — Free XML to JSON converter. Paste any XML and get clean, formatted JSON output instantly. Preserves attributes, nested elements, and values. No signup required.

XML → JSON
—Chars
—Lines
—Keys
XML Input
JSON Output
JSON output will appear here…

Why convert XML to JSON?

XML was the dominant data format for APIs and config files through the 2000s. Most modern systems have moved to JSON — it's more compact, human-readable, and natively supported in JavaScript and virtually every programming language. Common reasons to convert:

  • SOAP APIs — legacy enterprise APIs return XML responses; convert to JSON for modern front-end consumption
  • RSS / Atom feeds — news feeds and podcasts use XML; convert to JSON for easier parsing
  • Config migration — moving from XML-based config (Maven, Ant, Spring) to JSON/YAML equivalents
  • Data transformation — normalizing mixed-format data into a consistent JSON pipeline

How XML maps to JSON

  • Elements — become JSON keys; their text content becomes the value
  • Attributes — included with an @_ prefix (e.g. @_id) to distinguish from child elements
  • Repeated elements — automatically grouped into JSON arrays
  • Numbers and booleans — auto-parsed from string to their native JSON types
  • Nested elements — become nested JSON objects

XML vs JSON at a glance

  • Verbosity — XML uses opening and closing tags; JSON uses braces and brackets. The same data is typically 30–50% smaller in JSON.
  • Schema — XML has XSD for strict schema validation; JSON has JSON Schema (less mature but widely used)
  • Comments — XML supports comments; JSON does not (use JSONC or JSON5 if needed)
  • Attributes — XML has a native attribute concept; JSON has no equivalent (keys are keys)

Frequently Asked Questions

How are XML attributes handled?

XML attributes are included in the JSON output with a "@_" prefix to distinguish them from child elements. For example, <book category="fiction"> becomes { "@_category": "fiction" } inside the book object.

What happens to repeated XML elements?

When an element appears multiple times at the same level (like multiple <item> tags inside a <list>), they are automatically grouped into a JSON array.

Why convert XML to JSON?

JSON is more compact, easier to read, and natively supported in JavaScript and most modern APIs. Common use cases include migrating legacy XML APIs to JSON, processing RSS/Atom feeds, converting config files, and working with SOAP responses in modern web apps.

Does this support XML namespaces?

Yes. Namespace prefixes are preserved as part of the key names in the JSON output. For example, <ns:element> becomes "ns:element" in JSON.

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