Can I upload a real .xls or .xlsx binary file?

No. Binary spreadsheet formats need a dedicated parsing library, which this project doesn't include. Instead, copy your cells from Excel and paste them here (they paste as tab-separated text, which this tool reads the same way CSV/TSV is read), or export the sheet to CSV first.

What format does this actually expect?

Comma-separated (or tab-separated, since Excel copy/paste produces tabs) text with a header row, the same input the XML category's CSV to XML Converter accepts, this tool is a thin alias for that converter.

How does it decide the XML structure?

Each data row becomes a element with the header row's values as child tag names, all wrapped under a single root, so the result is always valid, single-root XML.

XLS to XML Converter - Convert Online

Overview

Introduction

Getting spreadsheet data into XML usually means exporting to CSV first.

This tool accepts that pasted text directly and does the conversion in one step.

What Is XLS to XML Converter?

A converter that treats spreadsheet text as CSV, reusing this category's existing CSV to XML Converter.

It produces well-formed XML rows from that parsed text.

How XLS to XML Converter Works

The input is parsed as CSV, honoring quoted fields and embedded commas.

Each row becomes a <row> element using the header row's values as child tag names, and everything is wrapped under a single <rows> root.

When To Use XLS to XML Converter

Use it when you've copied cells out of Excel or exported a sheet to CSV and need XML instead.

It's also useful for turning a quick spreadsheet-based data dump into XML for a downstream system.

Often used alongside XML to XLS Converter and CSV to XML Converter.

Features

Advantages

No binary parsing needed, works with plain pasted text.
Runs entirely client-side.
Reuses the well-tested CSV to XML Converter, so quoted fields and embedded commas are handled correctly.

Limitations

Doesn't read actual binary .xls/.xlsx files, only pasted or exported text, since this project has no spreadsheet-parsing library.
A header row is required, the first row's values always become the child element tag names.

Examples

Converting pasted spreadsheet cells

Input

id,name
1,Ada
2,Alan

Output

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rows>
  <row>
    <id>1</id>
    <name>Ada</name>
  </row>
  <row>
    <id>2</id>
    <name>Alan</name>
  </row>
</rows>

Each row becomes a <row> element, with header values as child tag names.

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

Export your sheet to CSV first if pasting cells directly doesn't produce clean comma or tab-separated text.
Confirm your first row is actually a header row, not data, before converting.
Use XML to XLS Converter afterward if you need to send the result back to a spreadsheet.

Developer Notes

This is a direct alias for the existing `csvToXml` function, no separate parsing logic exists for this tool.

XLS to XML Converter Use Cases

Converting spreadsheet cells copied from Excel into XML
Converting a CSV export into XML without a separate step
Turning a quick spreadsheet-based data dump into XML for a downstream system

Common Mistakes

Trying to upload a binary .xls/.xlsx file directly, only pasted or exported text works.
Pasting cells without a header row, column names will come out wrong without one.

Tips

Use XML to XLS Converter for the reverse direction, XML data as an Excel-openable file.
Check the FAQ above if the output doesn't look like what you expected.

XLS to XML Converter