XML Validator

Use our XML Validator to check the syntax of your XML files.

XML Errors Can Terminate Your Program

Errors in XML documents can terminate your XML application.

According to the W3C XML specification, if an XML document contains errors, the program should not continue processing the document. The reason is that XML software should be lightweight, fast, and have good compatibility.

With HTML, it is possible to create documents with many errors (for example, if you forget to close tags). One of the main reasons is that HTML browsers are quite bloated, have poor compatibility, and have their own ways to determine how the document should be displayed when errors are encountered.

This should not be the case with XML.

Syntax Checking Your XML

To help you with syntax checking your XML, we have created an XML Validator.

Paste your XML into the text box below and click the "Validate" button to check the syntax.

Correct Syntax Example:

Incorrect Syntax Example:

Note: Only checks if your XML is "well-formed." If you want to validate XML against a DTD, see the last paragraph on this page.

Validating XML Against a DTD

If you are using Internet Explorer, you can validate your XML against a DTD in the text area below.

Simply add the DOCTYPE declaration (with the DTD) after the <xml> element in your XML, and then click the "Validate" button: