Convert XML to YAML Online Free

Transform verbose XML documents into clean, readable YAML. Reduce file size and complexity while preserving your data structure. Perfect for migrating configs to modern DevOps tools.

Quick Answer

To convert XML to YAML, drop your .xml file onto the converter. The XML is parsed into a JSON structure via fast-xml-parser, then serialized as clean YAML via js-yaml. Your data structure is preserved in a more readable format.

Free, no signup Files stay on your device Under 1 minute
100% browser-based
No file size limits
Works offline
No data uploaded

Convert XML to YAML

Drop your XML file here to convert it instantly

Drag & drop your .xml file here, or click to browse

Your file never leaves your browser

XML vs YAML: Format Comparison

Key differences between the two formats

FeatureXMLYAML
File sizeLarge (opening + closing tags)50-70% smaller for same data
ReadabilityVerbose, tag-heavyClean, indentation-based
Comments<!-- block comments --># inline comments
EditingCumbersome by handNatural to write and edit
Schema validationXSD, DTD (industry standard)No standard schema system
Tooling ecosystemXSLT, XPath, XQueryKubernetes, Ansible, CI/CD
Learning curveHigher (attributes, namespaces)Lower (simple key: value)

When to Convert

Common scenarios where this conversion is useful

Migrating configs to Kubernetes

Convert XML application configs to YAML for use in Kubernetes ConfigMaps, Helm values files, or Kustomize overlays.

Modernizing CI/CD pipelines

Convert XML build definitions (Jenkins, Ant, Maven) to YAML for modern CI/CD platforms like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or CircleCI.

Ansible playbook creation

Convert XML inventory or configuration data into YAML for use in Ansible playbooks, roles, and variable files.

Simplifying configuration management

Replace verbose XML config files with cleaner YAML equivalents that are easier to read, diff, and maintain in version control.

How to Convert XML to YAML

  1. 1

    Upload your XML file

    Drag and drop your .xml file onto the converter, or click to browse. Any well-formed XML document is accepted.

  2. 2

    Automatic conversion

    The XML is parsed, and the tree structure is mapped to YAML with proper indentation. Elements become keys, attributes get prefix notation, and text becomes values.

  3. 3

    Download the YAML result

    Click Download to save your .yaml file. The output uses 2-space indentation and clean YAML formatting.

Frequently Asked Questions

XML attributes are mapped to keys with an '@_' prefix. For example, <server port="8080"> becomes a YAML mapping with '@_port: 8080' alongside the element content.

Namespace prefixes are preserved in the YAML key names. For example, <ns:element> becomes the key 'ns:element' in the YAML output.

Typically 50-70% smaller than the XML source, since YAML eliminates closing tags, angle brackets, and most punctuation.

CDATA content is extracted as plain text. The CDATA wrapper is removed, and the content becomes a regular YAML string value.

Yes. The converter runs in your browser and handles files with thousands of elements. Performance depends on your device's available memory.

No. XML comments are stripped during parsing. You can add YAML comments (#) to the output file after download.

You can convert the YAML back to XML using the YAML to XML converter. Data values are preserved, but some XML-specific features like processing instructions may be lost.

Elements with both text and child elements have the text stored in a '#text' key alongside the child element keys.

Yes. The entire conversion runs in your browser. No data is transmitted to any server.

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