XML to JSON Converter - Free & Bidirectional

XML to JSON conversion transforms data from Extensible Markup Language (XML) format to JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format. This is essential for modern web development because JSON is more lightweight, easier to parse in JavaScript, and widely supported by APIs and databases. Converting XML to JSON makes legacy data compatible with modern applications, simplifies API integrations, and improves data processing efficiency.

Using the converter is simple: (1) Select your conversion direction - XML → JSON or JSON → XML, (2) Paste your XML or JSON data in the input field, (3) Adjust options if needed (attributes, arrays, formatting), (4) The tool automatically converts your data in real-time, (5) Copy or download the converted output. You can also use the swap button to quickly reverse the conversion direction and swap input/output.

Yes, absolutely! All XML to JSON conversion happens entirely in your browser using client-side JavaScript. Your XML or JSON data never leaves your device and is never sent to any server. We do not log, store, track, or have any access to your data. This makes it completely safe to convert sensitive configuration files, API responses, or confidential business data.

Yes! The converter has a "Preserve XML Attributes" option that keeps attributes separate from element values. When enabled, XML attributes are stored in a special "$" property in the JSON output, following the xml2js standard. This ensures no data is lost during conversion and makes it possible to accurately convert the JSON back to the original XML structure.

CDATA (Character Data) sections in XML are automatically handled during conversion. The content within CDATA tags is preserved as regular text values in the JSON output, with special characters properly escaped. When converting JSON back to XML, the tool intelligently determines when to use CDATA sections to preserve special characters and formatting.

The "Always Use Arrays" option wraps all child elements in arrays, even if there is only one child. This ensures consistency in your JSON structure and makes it easier to iterate over elements in code without checking if a property is an array or single value. Without this option, single children become objects while multiple children become arrays, which can require additional type checking in your application.

Yes! This tool is bidirectional, meaning it supports both XML → JSON and JSON → XML conversion. Simply click the "JSON → XML" button to switch directions. The tool will generate valid XML with proper declaration, encoding, and structure. If your JSON contains attribute data (in "$" properties), those will be correctly converted back to XML attributes.

The converter supports all standard XML features including: nested elements, attributes, CDATA sections, text content, self-closing tags, XML declarations, namespaces, and mixed content. It handles complex XML structures with multiple nesting levels, preserves element order, and maintains data types as much as possible during conversion.

The converter can handle XML and JSON files of any reasonable size entirely in your browser. For very large files (10MB+), processing may take a few seconds depending on your device performance, but there is no hard size limit. All processing is local, so large files are not uploaded to any server. For extremely large datasets, consider breaking them into smaller chunks for faster processing.

Common use cases include: (1) Modernizing legacy XML APIs to work with JSON-based applications, (2) Converting SOAP web service responses to JSON for easier JavaScript processing, (3) Transforming XML configuration files (Maven pom.xml, build configs) to JSON for build tools, (4) Converting RSS/Atom feeds (XML) to JSON for web applications, (5) Processing XML database exports for import into NoSQL databases like MongoDB, (6) Converting XML API responses for use in React, Vue, or Angular applications.

The "$" property in JSON output contains XML attributes. This is a standard convention used by xml2js library to distinguish between element attributes and child elements. For example, <user id="123">John</user> converts to {"user": {"$": {"id": "123"}, "_": "John"}}. This preserves all XML information and allows accurate reverse conversion. You can disable attribute preservation in options if you don't need to convert back to XML.

Absolutely! This tool is perfect for converting SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) XML responses to JSON format. SOAP APIs return data in XML format, which can be cumbersome to work with in modern JavaScript applications. Converting SOAP responses to JSON makes it much easier to extract data, parse responses, and integrate with frontend frameworks like React, Angular, or Vue.