How to Convert XML to JSON with Attributes and Arrays

Why XML to JSON Is Not a Simple Find-and-Replace

XML and JSON share the same tree structure, but XML has features JSON doesn't:

• Attributes: XML elements can have attributes like <item id="123">. JSON has no native attribute concept.
• Repeated elements: The same tag can appear multiple times at the same level. JSON requires arrays.
• Text content: Elements can have both text and child elements mixed together.

A typical XML snippet shows these challenges:

<catalog>
  <book id="b001" lang="en">
    <title>XML for Beginners</title>
    <author>John Doe</author>
  </book>
  <book id="b002" lang="en">
    <title>Advanced XML</title>
    <author>Jane Smith</author>
  </book>
</catalog>

A good XML to JSON tool handles all of this automatically with the right configuration.

1. Configuring the Attribute Prefix

By default, XML attributes are prefixed with @ in the JSON output. You can customize this in the configuration bar:

{
  "catalog": {
    "book": [
      {
        "@id": "b001",
        "@lang": "en",
        "title": "XML for Beginners",
        "author": "John Doe"
      },
      {
        "@id": "b002",
        "@lang": "en",
        "title": "Advanced XML",
        "author": "Jane Smith"
      }
    ]
  }
}

The @ prefix clearly distinguishes attributes from child elements. Change it to _, -, or any other string in the config bar. The preview updates instantly so you can verify the output.

2. Automatic Array Detection

The Detect Arrays option (enabled by default) groups repeated sibling elements with the same tag name into JSON arrays. In the example above, the two <book> elements became a JSON array "book": [...].

Without this option, only the last occurrence would be kept — which is almost never what you want. Keep array detection on unless you have a specific reason to turn it off, such as when handling single-element XML structures.

Toggle the checkbox to see the difference in real time. The converter handles nested arrays with multiple levels of depth automatically.

3. Handling Mixed Content and Text Nodes

Elements with both text and child elements get a special treatment:

<description>
  This book covers
  <highlight>practical examples</highlight>
  and theory.
</description>

Converts to:

{
  "description": {
    "#text": "This book covers and theory.",
    "highlight": "practical examples"
  }
}

The text content is stored under #text while child elements keep their own keys. This preserves every piece of information from the original XML.

Best Practices for XML to JSON Conversion

• Always enable Detect Arrays. Most XML documents have repeated sibling elements. Without array detection, data gets silently overwritten.
• Use a meaningful attribute prefix. The @ prefix is the convention, but choose something that fits your downstream tools. Some systems prefer _ or -.
• Validate the XML first. Well-formed XML is required for correct conversion. Use a validator to check for unclosed tags or incorrect nesting before converting.
• Compare with YAML conversion. If you work with YAML configs too, the YAML to JSON tool follows a similar pattern with different rules.
• Check for namespace collisions. If your XML uses multiple namespaces, they'll be preserved as part of the element names. Review the JSON output to ensure no unintended key overlaps.

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Frequently Asked Questions