XML to YAML Converter

Convert XML documents to YAML. Handles elements, attributes, text content, mixed content, and repeated sibling arrays. 100% client-side.

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XML to YAML Converter

Convert XML documents to YAML instantly. Handles elements, attributes, text content, mixed content, and arrays. 100% client-side.

Conversion Options

XML Input
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YAML Output
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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the XML to YAML Converter?

The XML to YAML Converter is a free online tool that convert xml documents to yaml. handles elements, attributes, text content, mixed content, and repeated sibling arrays. 100% client-side.. It runs entirely in your browser with no installation or sign-up needed.

Is my XML sent to a server?

No. Parsing uses native DOMParser and js-yaml. Your data never leaves your device.

How are attributes represented?

Prefixed with a configurable marker (@ by default). Change to _ or attr_ in the options panel.

How are repeated elements handled?

Sibling elements with the same tag are automatically converted into a YAML array, preserving order.

Is the XML to YAML Converter free to use?

Yes, the XML to YAML Converter is 100% free with no registration, no hidden fees, and no usage limits. All processing happens locally in your browser, ensuring complete privacy.

Is my data safe with this tool?

Absolutely. The XML to YAML Converter processes everything client-side in your browser. No data is uploaded to or stored on any server. Your content remains private on your device at all times.

Does the XML to YAML Converter work on mobile devices?

Yes, the XML to YAML Converter is fully responsive and works on smartphones and tablets. You can use it on any device with a modern web browser -- no app download required.

Do I need to create an account to use this tool?

No account or registration is needed. Simply open the XML to YAML Converter in your browser and start using it immediately. There are no sign-up walls or usage restrictions.

How do I use the XML to YAML Converter?

Simply enter your input in the provided field, adjust any settings to your preference, and the tool will process it instantly. You can then copy the result to your clipboard or download it.

Which browsers are supported?

The XML to YAML Converter works in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. For the best experience, use the latest version of your preferred browser.

What is the difference between XML and YAML?

XML and YAML both describe structured, hierarchical data, but they express it differently. XML wraps every value in opening and closing tags and supports attributes, namespaces, and mixed content, which makes it verbose but explicit. YAML uses indentation instead of tags, so the same data is shorter and easier to scan, and it is a superset of JSON. The biggest practical gap is that YAML has no native concept of attributes or mixed content, so a converter must invent a convention to carry that information across. That is why this tool writes XML attributes as ordinary keys behind a marker like @ and stores text that sits beside child elements under a #text key. Paste your XML here to see exactly how each construct maps into clean, indented YAML.

Why does my converted YAML use an @ symbol in front of some keys?

Those @-prefixed keys are your XML attributes. YAML has no separate slot for attributes the way XML does, so to avoid losing them or clashing with a child element of the same name, the converter writes each attribute as a normal key behind a marker. By default that marker is @, so id="bk101" becomes @id: bk101 sitting alongside the element's other keys. The symbol is purely a naming convention, not special YAML syntax, and it keeps attributes visually distinct from real child elements. If @ conflicts with your style guide or downstream parser, open the options panel and switch the prefix to _ or attr_ instead. Whichever you choose is applied consistently across the whole document, so you can paste your XML, pick the marker your codebase already uses, and copy the result.

How do I convert XML attributes and nested elements into YAML?

You do not need to restructure anything by hand. Paste your XML into the editor and the converter walks the document automatically: each element becomes a mapping key that nests exactly as deep as the original markup, attributes are written as keys behind a configurable marker so they never collide with child names, and pure-text elements collapse into plain scalar values rather than redundant objects. The single XML root becomes the top-level YAML key, mirroring the one-root rule XML enforces. A small dashboard reports the elements, attributes, text nodes, and maximum nesting depth it found, so you can confirm the shape looks right before copying. You can also set the indent to 2 or 4 spaces to match Kubernetes, Docker Compose, or your CI config conventions. Load the sample document first to see all of this in action.

What happens to repeated XML tags when converting to YAML?

When several sibling elements share the same tag name, the converter collapses them into a single YAML array instead of producing duplicate keys, which YAML does not allow. For example, three <book> elements under a <catalog> become a list of three entries under one book key, and their original document order is preserved so nothing is reordered or dropped. A single occurrence of a tag stays a plain mapping rather than a one-item list, keeping the output natural to read. This automatic detection is what lets catalog files, RSS feeds, and SOAP payloads convert into idiomatic YAML lists without any manual editing. If you also enable Sort keys, attributes are ordered first and then child elements, which makes diffs between two converted files much easier to review. Paste your repeating XML structure to watch it become a clean array.

Why does the converter show a parse error instead of YAML?

A parse error means the browser's XML parser could not read your input, so the tool stops rather than emit broken YAML. The usual causes are an unclosed or mismatched tag, two root elements where XML allows only one, or a stray ampersand or angle bracket that was not escaped as an entity such as &amp; or &lt;. Because validation runs as you type, the tool surfaces the exact parser message pointing at what went wrong, which makes it a quick way to sanity-check hand-written XML, not just convert it. Fix the flagged issue, wrap everything in a single root element if needed, and the YAML reappears instantly. Note that XML comments and xmlns declarations are not carried into the YAML, and namespace prefixes remain as part of the tag name. Paste your markup to see precisely where any error sits.

About the XML to YAML Converter

The XML to YAML Converter turns an XML document into clean, readable YAML. Paste or type your markup on the left and the converted YAML appears instantly on the right, with a live byte count and a breakdown of the structure it found. It is built for developers and DevOps engineers migrating legacy config, anyone porting a SOAP or RSS payload into a YAML-based pipeline, and people who simply find YAML easier to read than angle brackets.

Everything runs locally in your browser. Parsing is done with the browser's native DOMParser and the YAML is generated with js-yaml, so your document never leaves your device. There is no upload, no account, and no usage limit — useful when the XML holds API keys, internal endpoints, or an unreleased configuration you would rather not send to a server.

How XML maps onto YAML

YAML has no concept of attributes or mixed content, so the converter applies a consistent set of rules to bridge the two formats:

  • Elements become mapping keys, nesting exactly as deep as the XML does.
  • Attributes are written as ordinary keys with a configurable marker so they never collide with child element names. The default marker is @ (for example id="bk101" becomes @id: bk101), and you can switch it to _ or attr_ in the options panel.
  • Repeated sibling elements with the same tag are collapsed into a YAML array, preserving their original order — three <book> tags under a <catalog> produce a list of three entries.
  • Pure-text elements with no attributes or children become plain scalar values rather than nested objects.
  • Mixed content — text sitting alongside child elements or attributes — is preserved under a #text key so nothing is silently dropped.

The single root element of your XML becomes the top-level key of the YAML document, mirroring how XML requires exactly one root.

Conversion options that shape the output

Three settings let you match a target style guide without hand-editing the result:

  • Indent size — choose 2 or 4 spaces per level. Two spaces is the common default for Kubernetes manifests, Docker Compose, and CI configs.
  • Attribute prefix — pick @, _, or attr_ depending on the convention your codebase already uses.
  • Sort keys — turn this on to order keys alphabetically (attributes first, then text, then child elements), which makes diffs between two converted files far easier to review. Leave it off to keep the document's natural order.

A small dashboard reports the elements, attributes, text nodes, and maximum nesting depth detected, giving you a quick sense of how large and how deep the document is before you copy it out.

Validation and getting the result out

The converter validates as you type. If the XML is malformed — an unclosed tag, a stray ampersand, or two root elements — the browser's parser flags it and the tool shows the exact parse error instead of producing broken YAML. That instant feedback makes it a handy way to sanity-check hand-written XML, not just convert it.

Once the YAML looks right you can copy it to the clipboard with one click or download it as a .yaml file ready to drop into a repository. A Load Sample button fills in a small catalog document so you can see how attributes, nesting, and repeated elements convert before pasting your own data.

A few things worth knowing: YAML is a superset of JSON and is whitespace-significant, which is exactly why consistent indentation matters and why the tool enforces it for you. Comments and XML namespaces are not carried into the YAML — namespace prefixes remain as part of the tag name but the xmlns declarations themselves are treated as ordinary attributes. For round-tripping back to XML, keep the original file, since attribute-versus-element distinctions are encoded by the prefix convention rather than preserved structurally.