XML to JSON Converter

How to Convert XML to JSON

Converting XML to JSON is a common data migration task — often paired with exporting to CSV or re-importing from CSV. Converting XML to JSON takes three steps with this tool:

1. Paste your XML document into the input field, or type it directly.
2. Click Convert to JSON. The output appears instantly in the right panel.
3. Click Copy to copy the JSON to your clipboard, or select and copy manually.

The converter handles any valid XML document — REST API responses, configuration files, SOAP envelopes, RSS/Atom feeds, and hand-written XML. There is no file size limit enforced by the tool, though very large documents (several MB) may take a moment to process depending on your device.

XML vs JSON: When to Use Each Format

XML remains dominant in enterprise systems, SOAP-based web services, document formats (DOCX, SVG, RSS), and any context where comments, namespaces, or mixed content (text + elements) are needed. JSON has largely replaced XML for REST APIs and web application data exchange because it is lighter and maps directly to JavaScript objects.

Why Convert XML to JSON?

The most common reasons to convert XML to JSON:

• REST API integration — your backend returns XML (a SOAP service, legacy system, or RSS feed) but your frontend or processing pipeline expects JSON.
• JavaScript consumption — JSON can be parsed natively in JavaScript with JSON.parse(). XML requires the more verbose DOMParser API.
• Data pipeline simplification — tools like pandas, BigQuery, and most modern databases ingest JSON more easily than XML.
• Payload size reduction — JSON is typically 20–40% smaller than equivalent XML because it eliminates opening and closing tags.
• Readability — JSON is generally easier for developers to read, debug, and edit by hand.
• NoSQL storage — MongoDB, Firestore, and similar databases store documents as JSON/BSON. Converting XML enables direct import.

If you need to go the other direction, the JSON to XML converter handles the reverse transformation.

How XML Attributes Are Handled

XML has a concept that JSON does not: attributes on elements. This converter follows the BadgerFish convention: attributes are converted to JSON properties prefixed with @.

For example, this XML:

<user id="42" role="admin">Alice</user>

Becomes this JSON:

{
  "user": {
    "@id": "42",
    "@role": "admin",
    "#text": "Alice"
  }
}

Repeated elements at the same level are automatically converted to JSON arrays. If only one such element exists, it remains an object — this is the standard behavior, though some converters always produce arrays for consistency.

Data Format Conversion Workflow

XML to JSON is one step in an API or data migration workflow:

• Validate the JSON output after conversion to confirm structure
• Format and prettify the result for readability
• Convert JSON back to XML — reverse the direction
• Convert the JSON to CSV for spreadsheet analysis
• Format the XML input — use the HTML Formatter to clean up XML before converting

Related Tools

• Documenting your XML-to-JSON migration? Write it up in Markdown and convert for web publishing. → document the transformation in Markdown
• Using the converted JSON in API calls? URL-encode any values passed as query parameters. → encode JSON values for query strings
• Need to verify the converted data has not changed? Generate a hash with the Hash Generator. → hash the converted JSON for integrity checking
• Automating recurring XML imports? Validate your cron expression with the Cron Parser. → schedule XML data imports