Free JSON to XML Converter — Also Converts XML to JSON (2026)

JSON vs XML — When to Use Each

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is JSON to XML conversion?

  JSON to XML conversion transforms JSON data into XML (eXtensible Markup Language) format. Where JSON uses curly braces and brackets, XML uses opening and closing tags. JSON objects become XML elements, JSON keys become element names, and JSON values become element text content. The conversion is useful when integrating with legacy systems, SOAP APIs, or enterprise software that expects XML format.

• What is the root element in the XML output?

  XML requires exactly one root element wrapping all content — unlike JSON which can start with any value. You can configure the root element name in the 'Root tag' field (default: 'root'). For JSON objects, the root wraps all top-level keys as child elements. For JSON arrays, the root wraps all items as 'item' elements. Choose a meaningful root name like 'catalog', 'users', or 'response'.

• How are JSON arrays converted to XML?

  JSON arrays are converted to repeated XML elements. For example, an array [{"id":1},{"id":2}] with parent key 'books' becomes <books><id>1</id></books><books><id>2</id></books> — repeated elements with the same tag name, which is the standard XML convention for lists. Root-level arrays wrap items in an 'item' tag by default.

• How does XML to JSON conversion work?

  Switch to XML → JSON mode and paste your XML. The tool uses the browser's built-in DOMParser to parse the XML, then recursively converts elements to JSON objects. Text content becomes scalar values (with type detection for numbers and booleans). Repeated child elements with the same tag name are automatically grouped into a JSON array.

• What XML features are supported for XML→JSON conversion?

  Supported: standard XML elements, text content, nested elements, repeated elements (auto-array), type detection (numbers, booleans, null from text content). Not supported: XML attributes (the tool converts element text, not attributes), XML namespaces, CDATA sections, processing instructions, and DOCTYPE declarations. For attribute handling, a dedicated XSLT or server-side converter would be needed.

• Can I use this to convert SOAP XML responses to JSON?

  Yes, for basic SOAP responses. Paste the SOAP XML body into the XML input (excluding SOAP envelope headers if not needed), and convert to JSON. Note that SOAP XML often uses namespaces (xmlns:soap=...) which this tool ignores. The element content and structure will be correctly converted to JSON, making it easier to work with in JavaScript or REST APIs.

• How are special characters handled in XML?

  JSON string values containing XML special characters are automatically escaped in the output: & becomes &amp;, < becomes &lt;, > becomes &gt;, " becomes &quot;, and ' becomes &apos;. This ensures the generated XML is always well-formed and passes XML validation.

• What root tag name should I use?

  Use a descriptive name that represents the data: 'users' for a user list, 'products' for product data, 'catalog' for a catalog, 'response' for an API response. XML element names must start with a letter or underscore, cannot contain spaces, and should not start with 'xml' (reserved). The tool sanitizes invalid characters automatically.

• Can I convert back from XML to JSON using the Swap button?

  Yes. After converting JSON to XML, click Swap to use the XML output as input in XML→JSON mode. This performs a round-trip conversion and lets you verify the output matches the original structure. Note that some information may be lost in round-trips (e.g., JSON arrays of identical items may have slightly different structures after XML→JSON).

• How does the tool handle null values?

  JSON null values are converted to XML elements with the xsi:nil='true' attribute, following the XML Schema standard convention for absent values. When converting XML→JSON, empty element text content is preserved as an empty string, and the special null detection is not automatic (null handling in XML varies by schema).

• Is my data private?

  Completely private. All conversion runs in your browser — JSON and XML data are never sent to any server. The XML→JSON conversion uses the browser's built-in DOMParser API which runs locally. You can safely paste API payloads, configuration files, or any data with confidential information.

• Is the JSON to XML converter free?

  Yes, free with no usage limits and no login required. Both JSON→XML and XML→JSON conversion are included. Download output as .xml or .json, copy to clipboard, use the Swap button for round-trip conversion — all free and browser-based.