Convert XML to JSON

Why convert XML to JSON

XML still powers RSS feeds, sitemaps, SOAP services, invoices, office documents and a lot of enterprise integration. Modern web code, however, works most naturally with JSON. Converting lets you inspect XML data quickly, feed it to JavaScript or store it in document databases.

The converter uses fast-xml-parser with settings chosen to keep information: attributes are kept as keys starting with @, element text next to attributes goes into #text, and elements that repeat become arrays. The XML declaration and processing instructions are dropped because JSON has no place for them.

XML vs JSON at a glance

How to convert XML to JSON

1. 1

   Step 1: Select the XML file

   Drop a .xml file, such as a feed, sitemap or export.

2. 2

   Step 2: Keep JSON as the target

   JSON is preselected; CSV and YAML are also available.

3. 3

   Step 3: Convert

   The document is parsed and each element becomes a property.

4. 4

   Step 4: Download

   Save the pretty-printed .json file.

Mapping rules

Typical XML to JSON uses

• Reading RSS and Atom feeds. Work with feed items as JavaScript objects.

• Legacy API migration. Inspect SOAP or XML API responses while moving to JSON.

• Sitemap audits. Load URL lists into scripts or spreadsheets.

• Config conversion. Move settings from XML files to JSON-based tools.

The single versus repeated element problem

XML does not say whether an element is meant to be a list. If a feed has one item, it becomes an object; with two items, it becomes an array. Code that reads the JSON should therefore handle both shapes, for example by wrapping single values in an array.

This is a limitation of converting XML without a schema, not of this tool, and every generic converter faces it.

What does not carry over

Comments, processing instructions and the XML declaration are removed. Namespace prefixes are kept as part of names, such as media:content, so you can still tell elements apart. Whitespace around text values is trimmed.

Mixed content, where text and elements are interleaved inside the same parent, is simplified: the text parts are merged into #text and their exact positions between child elements are not preserved.

• Kept: elements, attributes, text, namespace prefixes.
• Dropped: comments, declarations, processing instructions.
• Simplified: mixed text and element content.

Tips for XML to JSON

• Check that the XML is well formed; one unclosed tag stops the conversion.
• Normalize single items to arrays in your code before looping over them.
• Large feeds convert fine, but pretty-printed JSON can be bigger than the XML.
• To go back, use the JSON to XML converter, which understands @ and #text keys.

XML to JSON questions