JSON ↔ XML Converter

What is JSON to XML Conversion and Why Do You Need It?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) and XML (eXtensible Markup Language) are two of the most widely used data interchange formats in software development. While JSON has become the preferred format for modern web APIs and configuration files due to its compact, human-readable syntax, XML remains essential in enterprise systems, legacy applications, SOAP web services, and many established data standards.

JSON excels in modern web development because of its native JavaScript compatibility and lightweight structure. Every modern programming language has built-in JSON parsing capabilities, making it the go-to choice for REST APIs, configuration files, NoSQL databases, and frontend-backend communication. Its simplicity—using only objects, arrays, strings, numbers, booleans, and null—makes it incredibly fast to parse and easy for developers to work with.

XML provides a more verbose but highly structured format with explicit opening and closing tags. This explicitness enables powerful features like namespaces, attributes, schemas (XSD), XSLT transformations, and XPath queries. XML is the foundation of SOAP web services, RSS/Atom feeds, Microsoft Office documents (DOCX, XLSX), Android layouts, SVG graphics, and countless enterprise integration patterns including EDI and healthcare HL7 messaging.

The need to convert between JSON and XML arises frequently: integrating modern REST APIs with legacy SOAP services, parsing XML feeds into JSON for JavaScript applications, migrating data between systems, generating XML for document processing, or simply viewing data in a more familiar format during debugging.

Key Features of This Free JSON to XML Converter

This online converter delivers a professional developer experience with comprehensive features:

• Bidirectional Conversion: Convert JSON to XML or XML to JSON with a single click—no separate tools needed
• Real-time Processing: See converted output instantly as you type with zero button clicks required
• Instant Syntax Validation: Catch JSON parsing errors and XML syntax issues with clear, helpful error messages
• Tree Structure Preservation: Complex nested objects, arrays, and mixed content are accurately transformed
• XML Declaration Control: Toggle the <?xml version="1.0"?> declaration on or off based on your requirements
• Configurable Indentation: Choose between 2, 4, or 8 spaces for output formatting to match your code style
• Swap Function: Reverse conversion direction with one click for efficient round-trip testing
• Copy to Clipboard: One-click copying for easy pasting into your code editors and IDEs
• Download Output: Save converted files directly as .xml or .json to your local device
• Drag & Drop Support: Drop JSON or XML files directly onto the input area for instant conversion
• Reset Function: Clear all data and start fresh with a dedicated reset button
• Fullscreen Mode: Maximize workspace for comfortable editing of large documents on desktop
• Mobile Responsive: Works seamlessly on smartphones, tablets, and desktop computers
• 100% Client-side Processing: Your data never leaves your browser—complete privacy guaranteed

How to Use This JSON to XML Converter

Converting JSON to XML

1. Ensure “JSON → XML” mode is selected (the default setting)
2. Paste your JSON content into the left input area, or click “Sample” for example data
3. Watch the formatted XML output appear instantly on the right panel
4. Toggle the “XML Declaration” checkbox if you need to include or exclude the XML header
5. Review stats showing line count, element count, and nesting depth
6. Use Copy or Download to save your converted result

Converting XML to JSON

1. Click “XML → JSON” to switch conversion modes
2. Paste your XML data into the input area
3. JSON output generates automatically with proper indentation
4. Adjust indentation spacing using the dropdown selector if needed
5. Copy or download your JSON output

Using the Bidirectional Swap Feature

Click the swap button (↕) to move your output to the input area and automatically switch conversion direction. This powerful feature is perfect for round-trip testing, validating conversions, or when you need to make edits and convert back to the original format.

Common Use Cases for JSON XML Conversion

API Integration and Data Exchange

Modern microservices often need to communicate with legacy enterprise systems. Converting JSON API responses to XML enables integration with SOAP services, while transforming XML responses to JSON makes them consumable by modern JavaScript frameworks like React, Vue, and Angular.

Configuration File Migration

Many applications are transitioning from XML configuration (Maven POMs, Spring configurations, .NET web.config) to JSON-based alternatives. This converter simplifies the migration process by allowing quick transformation and validation of configuration data.

Data Transformation Pipelines

ETL (Extract-Transform-Load) processes frequently need format conversion. Whether you’re preparing data for different systems, normalizing structures, or building data pipelines, quick JSON-XML transformation is essential for prototyping and testing.

Document Processing and Generation

XML is the foundation of many document formats including DOCX, XLSX, and EPUB. When programmatically generating documents from JSON data sources, converting to XML is a necessary step in the pipeline.

RSS/Atom Feed Processing

RSS and Atom feeds use XML format. Converting these to JSON makes them easier to process in JavaScript applications, while converting JSON data to XML enables feed generation for syndication.

Android Development

Android uses XML for layouts, resources, and manifest files. Developers working with JSON-based backends may need to convert configuration data to Android’s XML format during development.

Understanding JSON vs XML Differences

JSON Format Advantages

• Compact, lightweight syntax with minimal overhead
• Native JavaScript support for direct parsing
• Simple data types: objects, arrays, strings, numbers, booleans, null
• Faster parsing and smaller file sizes
• Perfect for REST APIs and modern web applications
• Human-readable and easy to write manually

XML Format Advantages

• Explicit structure with opening and closing tags
• Supports attributes on elements (e.g., <item id="1">)
• Built-in namespace support for complex schemas
• XSLT enables powerful document transformations
• XPath and XQuery for sophisticated querying
• Schema validation (XSD) for strict type checking
• Comments support for documentation within data
• Processing instructions for special handling

Important Conversion Considerations

When converting between formats, keep these points in mind:

• JSON doesn’t support attributes—XML attributes become child elements or special structures
• JSON comments (non-standard) are lost when converting
• XML namespaces require careful handling after conversion
• Array handling differs—JSON uses [] while XML repeats sibling elements
• XML CDATA sections and processing instructions have no direct JSON equivalent
• Type coercion: numbers and booleans in XML text are converted to proper JSON types

Privacy and Data Security

This converter runs entirely within your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your data never leaves your device—there are no server requests, no backend processing, no analytics tracking, and absolutely no data storage or logging.

Whether you’re converting sensitive API responses, configuration files with credentials, proprietary data structures, or any confidential information, everything remains completely private and secure on your local machine. You can verify this by checking your browser’s Network tab while using the tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can this tool handle large JSON or XML files?

Yes, the converter efficiently processes files of several megabytes. For very large files, you may notice a brief delay during conversion, but there’s no hard limit beyond your browser’s memory constraints.

How does the tool handle arrays?

JSON arrays are converted to repeated XML elements with the same tag name. For example, a users array becomes multiple <user> elements within a <users> container. The converter intelligently handles singular/plural naming patterns.

What about XML attributes?

When converting XML to JSON, attributes are converted to regular key-value pairs within the element. When converting JSON to XML, all keys become child elements rather than attributes, providing consistent and predictable behavior.

Why am I seeing parsing errors?

For JSON: Ensure proper syntax—matching braces and brackets, quoted property names, commas between items (no trailing commas). For XML: Verify all tags are properly closed and nested, special characters are escaped, and the document is well-formed.

Can I use this converter offline?

Once loaded in your browser, the tool works entirely offline. Bookmark it for use during flights, in secure environments, or anywhere without network access.

Does it preserve the order of properties?

JSON property order is preserved as defined in modern JavaScript engines. XML element order is also maintained during conversion, ensuring structure integrity.

How are special characters handled?

The converter automatically escapes special characters when converting to XML (<, >, &, ", ') and properly decodes them when parsing XML back to JSON.

Start Converting Now

Use the converter above to transform your JSON and XML data instantly. Paste content directly, drag and drop files, or load sample data to see it in action. Toggle conversion directions as needed, copy results to clipboard, or download files directly.

No signup required. No data collection. No usage limits. Just fast, accurate, bidirectional JSON-XML conversion with complete privacy—all running locally in your browser.