How does a YAML mapping key become an XML tag name?

Each key becomes an element with that name wrapping its value. Keys that aren't valid XML tag names, ones starting with a digit or containing spaces or symbols XML doesn't allow, fall back to a generic ` ` tag so the output always stays well-formed, the same fallback the JSON to XML Converter uses.

How are YAML sequences represented in the XML output?

Each item in a sequence becomes a sibling element with the same tag name, repeated once per item, rather than being wrapped in an artificial container element. A YAML list under the key `env` with two items becomes two sibling ` ` elements, which is the most common convention for representing lists in XML.

Can I set a custom root element name?

Yes. By default the whole document is wrapped in a ` ` element, since YAML itself doesn't name its top level the way XML requires. Set a different root name if the system consuming the XML expects a specific element name at the top.

Does the output include an XML declaration?

Yes, every conversion starts with ` ` on its own line, which most XML parsers and specifications expect, even though it's technically optional in some contexts.

YAML to XML Converter - Convert YAML to XML Online

Overview

Introduction

Plenty of older or enterprise systems, SOAP services, some CI tools, XML-based data feeds, still speak XML exclusively, even when your own config or data started life as YAML. This converter bridges the two by parsing your YAML and re-serializing it as indented, well-formed XML.

Because YAML and XML both describe nested, tree-shaped data, the conversion is mostly mechanical: mappings become nested elements, sequences become repeated sibling elements, and scalars become element text content.

What Is YAML to XML Converter?

A YAML-to-XML converter parses a YAML document into its underlying value, then walks that structure to emit matching XML elements, wrapping the whole thing in a root tag since XML always needs exactly one.

It reuses the same JSON-to-XML conversion logic that powers this site's JSON tools internally, so YAML and JSON documents that describe the same data convert to identical XML output.

How YAML to XML Converter Works

Your YAML is parsed into a JavaScript value, then passed through the same array/object-to-XML serializer used by the JSON to XML Converter: objects become nested elements, arrays become repeated sibling elements, and scalars become element text.

Tag names that aren't valid XML identifiers fall back to a generic `<item>` element rather than producing broken markup.

When To Use YAML to XML Converter

Use it when a downstream system only accepts XML but your source data or config is maintained in YAML.

It's also useful for previewing how a YAML structure would look as XML before deciding how to model a data-exchange format.

Often used alongside XML to YAML Converter, YAML to JSON Converter and YAML Formatter & Prettifier.

Features

Advantages

Runs entirely client-side.
Produces well-formed XML with a proper declaration and consistent indentation.
Sequences become repeated sibling elements, the idiomatic XML representation of a list.
Configurable root element name and indent width.

Limitations

XML attributes are not generated, every value becomes an element, never an attribute.
Comments in the source YAML are not preserved, since neither the intermediate value nor XML has a slot for them by default in this converter.
Keys that aren't valid XML tag names fall back to a generic `<item>` element, which can make some structures ambiguous to read.

Examples

Mapping with a sequence

Input

name: api
env:
  - prod
  - staging

Output

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<root>
  <name>api</name>
  <env>prod</env>
  <env>staging</env>
</root>

Each sequence item becomes its own sibling <env> element rather than a single element containing a list.

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

Set a meaningful root element name if the receiving system expects a specific one.
Validate the resulting XML against the target system's schema if it has one, since this conversion doesn't know about any particular XML schema.
Keep the YAML source as the file you actually maintain; treat the XML output as a generated artifact.

Developer Notes

This parses YAML with the `yaml` package, then feeds `JSON.stringify()` of the parsed value into the existing `jsonToXml()` function from the JSON category's tools, so YAML and JSON inputs describing identical data always converge on identical XML output. No separate XML serialization logic is maintained for this tool.

YAML to XML Converter Use Cases

Feeding YAML-sourced config into a SOAP or legacy XML API
Producing an XML export from a YAML-based data file
Comparing how the same data looks in YAML vs. XML during a format migration

Common Mistakes

Expecting XML attributes in the output, when every value is serialized as a nested element instead.
Forgetting to set a custom root name when the consuming system expects one specifically.

Tips

Pair this with the XML to YAML Converter to round-trip and confirm the conversion is lossless for your data.
If a key becomes `<item>` in the output, it's because the original key wasn't a valid XML tag name.

YAML to XML Converter