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What is XML validation?

Check that XML is well-formed and optionally conforms to a schema.

XML validation confirms a document is syntactically correct (well-formed) and, when you supply a schema, that its structure matches expected rules (valid). Well-formedness catches unclosed tags, illegal characters, and namespace errors before they break parsers in production.

XSD (XML Schema Definition) validation goes further — enforcing element order, data types, and required fields. This is common in B2B integrations where partners exchange strictly typed messages.

This validator runs locally in your browser. Read XML well-formedness and XSD validation for examples and troubleshooting tips.

How to use

Step-by-step guide for XML Validator. Everything runs locally in your browser.

Quick start check your XML
  1. Paste or import XML into the input pane.
  2. Well-formedness results appear in the validate panel with line-accurate messages.
  3. Optionally attach an XSD schema for structure validation.
XSD validation optional schema

Load an XSD file or paste a schema, then run validation against your document. Errors list the XPath-like path and constraint that failed.

Fix & re-check iterate quickly

Edit XML in the input pane and validation refreshes automatically. Use suggested fixes when offered, then re-run XSD validation after structural changes.

Need tree view, schema validation, or other modes? Open XML Editor Pro for the full guide with Diff examples and workflows.

Features

What this XML Validator page offers — processed locally in your browser.

Well-formed check

Instant parse errors with line and column pointers.

XSD validation

Validate structure when you provide an XML Schema.

100% private

All processing runs in your browser. Nothing is uploaded.

FAQ

Common questions about XML Validator.

Is my XML data safe?

Yes. Parsing, formatting, diffing, validation, XPath, transforms, and XSLT all run inside your browser. Data is not sent to a server. The only local storage is your session in localStorage, which you can clear in browser settings.

Does it work offline?

After the first visit (when Monaco and assets are cached), you can edit, format, diff, and transform without a network connection. “Load from URL” still needs network access and a CORS-friendly server.

What can Auto-fix repair in XML?

Auto-fix handles many well-formedness problems: unclosed or mismatched tags, duplicate attributes, unquoted attribute values, bare & in text, broken comments and CDATA sections, and orphan closing tags. It appears in the status bar when parsing fails and inside Validate mode with per-error fix buttons. Auto-fix does not change XSD-valid content — it only makes XML syntactically parseable so you can continue editing or run schema validation.

Can I compare two XML files with elements in a different order?

Yes. Open Diff mode (Ctrl/⌘+D), paste the second file on side B, and keep Sort enabled on both sides. Sibling elements are reordered using a stable canonical ordering so equivalent documents align. Turn Sort off when sequence matters (e.g. ordered event lists).

Quick try: load the sample catalog, open Diff, paste the same XML on B but swap the two <book> blocks. With Sort on, the diff should be empty; with Sort off, you will see the blocks highlighted as changed lines.

Walkthrough: comparing two config exports step by step
  1. Paste your production config in the left editor.
  2. Press Ctrl/⌘+D to enter Diff — that becomes side A.
  3. Copy the staging export and click Paste on the B toolbar — that becomes side B.
  4. Confirm Sort and Ignore WS are active on both toolbars (blue).
  5. Scan for red/green lines. No highlights? The exports are equivalent for compare purposes.
  6. Still noisy from indentation? Click Format on A and B.
  7. See a difference in a list of items? Turn Sort OFF — if it disappears when you turn Sort back on, only order differed; if it stays, content or structure really changed.
Why do Sort or Ignore WS change what I see in the diff?

Those options rebuild the view from your source text: Sort reorders elements; Ignore WS normalises whitespace in text nodes and tells the diff engine to ignore leading/trailing spaces on each line. Your stored source is kept separately so toggling options updates the display without losing the original unless you edit the diff pane itself.

Do comments survive diff normalization?

When Sort or Ignore WS is on, the file is parsed with DOMParser and comments are not preserved in the diff view. For comment-sensitive compares, turn both off on that side — Format/Minify still work on the raw text.

Which XPath version is supported?

XPath 1.0 (browser document.evaluate). Unprefixed names match local element names; the sample catalog avoids a default namespace so paths like /catalog/book/title work as expected.

What transform outputs are available?

JSON, YAML, CSV, Markdown, and HTML table. Pick a target in Transform mode and click Convert. Conversion uses the browser DOM — very large documents may take a moment.

Other tools

Load XML from URL

The URL must allow CORS. Plain XML only.

Paste XML

Clipboard access denied. Paste your XML below.