SheetCompareCSV to XML Converter
Convert a CSV file into a row-shaped XML document. Useful for legacy systems, SOAP APIs, and anything that demands XML.
Drop your file here
Accepts CSV · Runs in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.
Most teams stopped emitting XML by default a decade ago, but plenty of consumers still demand it: legacy ERP systems, SOAP endpoints, government filing portals, and B2B integrations that were built before JSON was the assumption. If you're handed a CSV and asked to produce XML, this tool removes the in-between scripting step.
Output is a flat, row-shaped XML document — one `<row>` element per row, with one child element per column, named after your CSV header. Element names are sanitized so the output is always well-formed (XML names can't contain spaces, hyphens, or start with digits). Cell values get standard XML escaping. Conversion runs entirely in your browser.
Three steps, no signup
- 1
Drop your CSV
Drag a .csv file into the box above, or click to pick one. The first row is treated as the header row and used to name the column elements.
- 2
We build the XML tree
Each data row becomes a <row> element. Each cell becomes a child element named after its column header (sanitized for XML). Special characters in cell values are escaped.
- 3
Download the .xml
A well-formed UTF-8 XML document is ready instantly. Send it to your SOAP endpoint, paste it into a filing portal, or hand it to whatever consumer demanded XML.
Frequently asked questions
- What does the output XML look like?
- Wrapped in a `<rows>` root, with one `<row>` per CSV row and one named child element per column. So a CSV with headers `name,email` and a row `Alice,alice@x.com` produces: <rows> <row> <name>Alice</name> <email>alice@x.com</email> </row> </rows> Indented two spaces. Encoded UTF-8.
- How are column names sanitized?
- Any character outside `[A-Za-z0-9_]` is replaced with an underscore. Names that would start with a digit get a leading underscore. So a header named `First Name` becomes the element `<First_Name>`, `2024 Q1` becomes `<_2024_Q1>`. This guarantees the output is well-formed XML — XML element names have stricter rules than CSV column headers.
- What happens to special characters in cell values?
- Standard XML escaping: `&` becomes `&`, `<` becomes `<`, `>` becomes `>`, `"` becomes `"`, `'` becomes `'`. Newlines inside cells are preserved as literal newlines inside the element. The output is guaranteed to parse back as valid XML.
- Why use XML instead of JSON for the same data?
- Almost never by choice in 2026 — JSON is lighter, easier to read, and what most modern tools want. Use XML when the consumer requires it: a SOAP web service, an EDI-style B2B exchange, a government tax-filing portal, an XSLT-based publishing pipeline, or an ERP system with a hardcoded XML import schema. If you have a choice, pick JSON.
- What if my CSV has duplicate column names?
- Both columns get emitted as their own elements. So a CSV with two `id` columns produces two `<id>` elements per row. This is valid XML — the schema technically allows repeated child elements — but it's a smell. Rename duplicate columns in your CSV first if you want a cleaner output.
- Are CDATA sections used for cells with markup-looking content?
- No — we always use entity escaping (`<` etc.), never CDATA wrapping. Entity escaping is universally understood by every XML parser and round-trips losslessly. CDATA can be slightly easier to read in a text editor but adds another set of edge cases (you can't put `]]>` inside a CDATA block). Entity escaping is the safer default.
- Can I customize the root and row element names?
- Not yet — v1 always uses `<rows>` as the root and `<row>` for each record. If you need a different schema (`<orders>` with `<order>` children, say), open the downloaded file in any text editor and find-and-replace the two element names. A future version will accept these as inputs on the page.