XML to JSON Converter

How This Tool Converts XML to JSON

• The root XML element becomes the top-level key in the JSON output. Child elements become nested JSON object properties, preserving the original structure.
• XML attributes are placed in an @attributes object inside the element's JSON representation — for example, <user id="1"> becomes { "user": { "@attributes": { "id": "1" } } }.
• Repeated sibling elements sharing the same tag name are automatically collapsed into a JSON array — three <role> elements become "role": ["admin", "editor", "viewer"].
• Text-only elements become string values. When an element contains both text and child elements, the text is placed under a #text key alongside the child element keys.

When to Use XML to JSON

• When consuming a SOAP or legacy REST API that returns XML and you need to process the response with a JSON-native tool or language.
• When migrating data from an XML-based system (RSS feeds, sitemap files, legacy exports) into a JSON API or database.
• When you receive an XML configuration file and want to inspect or query it with JSONPath or jq.
• When integrating with third-party services that return XML and your application only handles JSON payloads.

Worked example

XML with an attribute, leaf elements, and a repeated tag — the cases that determine the JSON shape:

Input XML

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<user id="42">
  <name>Jane Smith</name>
  <age>28</age>
  <roles>
    <role>admin</role>
    <role>editor</role>
  </roles>
</user>

Output JSON

{
  "user": {
    "@attributes": {
      "id": "42"
    },
    "name": "Jane Smith",
    "age": "28",
    "roles": {
      "role": [
        "admin",
        "editor"
      ]
    }
  }
}

What happened

• The root <user> became the top-level key, and its id attribute landed in a separate @attributes object.
• The two <role> elements collapsed into a JSON array under role — had there been only one, it would have been a plain string instead (see gotchas).
• age is "28" — a string, not the number 28. XML values carry no type, so everything comes out as a string.
• The <roles> wrapper is preserved as an intermediate object, so the array sits at roles.role, not directly under user.

Edge cases & gotchas

• Every value is a string. <age>28</age> becomes "28" and <active>true</active> becomes "true". Cast to real numbers or booleans in your code after converting.
• Single vs repeated changes the shape. One <role> produces a string; two or more produce an array. Consumers that always expect an array break on a one-item list — normalise it after converting.
• Attributes live under @attributes. The output shape isn't the same as a JSON document authored by hand, because XML's attribute/element split has no JSON equivalent and is preserved with a special key.
• Namespace prefixes stay in the keys. <soapenv:Envelope> becomes a key literally named soapenv:Envelope — convenient for SOAP, but remember the colon is part of the key.
• Mixed content uses #text. An element with both text and child elements keeps its text under a #text key alongside the children; whitespace-only text is dropped.