How do I control the XML's root element name?

Use the "Root element" field above the input. It defaults to "root" but you can set it to match whatever tag name your consuming system expects, since YAML has no equivalent single named root the way XML requires.

How are YAML sequences represented in XML?

Each item in a sequence is emitted as a sibling element repeating the same tag name, so a roles list of [admin, editor] becomes admin editor at that nesting level, not one wrapping element containing both.

What happens to YAML keys that aren't valid XML tag names?

Keys with spaces, leading digits, or other characters XML disallows in tag names fall back to a generic "item" tag rather than producing invalid markup.

Does it support multi-document YAML (separated by ---)?

This converter processes a single YAML document. If your input has multiple documents separated by ---, only the first is converted; split multi-document YAML into individual inputs first.

What happens if my YAML is invalid?

The converter reports the exact line and column where parsing failed, mirroring how a dedicated YAML parser reports syntax errors, so you can fix the source before worrying about the XML shape.

YAML to XML Converter - Convert YAML to XML Online

Overview

Introduction

YAML is the default language of CI configs, Kubernetes manifests, and most modern infra tooling, but some destinations, an older SOAP endpoint, a legacy config loader, a schema-driven system, still expect XML. This converter bridges that gap entirely in your browser.

It's aimed at the case where you have a YAML document in hand and need well-formed XML out the other side, with a root element name you control.

What Is YAML to XML Converter?

A YAML-to-XML converter parses YAML into a plain value, then builds an XML element tree from it the same way the JSON to XML converter does: mapping keys become child element tag names, sequence items repeat a tag per entry, and scalars become an element's text content.

Because YAML documents don't have a single named root the way XML requires, you supply that name yourself, it wraps the entire converted structure.

How YAML to XML Converter Works

Your input is parsed with a standard YAML parser, so any YAML syntax error is caught and located before conversion begins.

The parsed value is then converted to XML by piping it through the same builder the JSON to XML converter uses: mappings become nested elements from their keys, sequences repeat the current tag name once per item, and scalars become inline text content with XML's special characters escaped.

When To Use YAML to XML Converter

Use it when a downstream API, config loader, or legacy system requires XML input but the data you have (or maintain) is YAML.

It's also useful for quickly previewing what a YAML config would look like in XML form before writing a permanent conversion step in a pipeline.

Often used alongside YAML to XML Converter, XML to YAML Converter and JSON to XML Converter.

Features

Advantages

Runs entirely client-side, so YAML containing real config or credentials never leaves your browser.
Lets you set the root element name directly, instead of hardcoding one for you.
Reports the exact line and column of a YAML syntax error rather than failing silently.
Shares its XML-building logic with the JSON to XML converter, so tag-name sanitization and escaping behavior are identical across both.

Limitations

YAML keys that aren't valid XML tag names (spaces, leading digits, etc.) fall back to a generic item tag.
Sequences become repeated sibling elements rather than a wrapping list element, check this shape against your downstream schema.
Only the first document is converted if the input contains multiple YAML documents separated by ---.

Examples

A simple mapping with a custom root

Input

id: 1
name: Ada

Output

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<user>
  <id>1</id>
  <name>Ada</name>
</user>

With the root element set to "user", each YAML key becomes a child element under it.

A sequence becomes repeated sibling tags

Input

roles:
  - admin
  - editor

Output

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<root>
  <roles>admin</roles>
  <roles>editor</roles>
</root>

Each sequence item repeats the roles tag rather than nesting inside one wrapping element.

Inconsistent indentation is reported, not guessed at

Invalid input

id: 1
  name: Ada

Parser error

Bad indentation of a mapping entry

YAML's indentation is structurally significant, so an unexpected indent level is a syntax error rather than something the parser can silently correct.

Corrected version

id: 1
name: Ada

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

Set the root element name to match what your consuming system expects before relying on the default.
Keep YAML keys as valid XML identifiers (letters, digits, underscore, hyphen, no leading digit) if you need them preserved as tag names.
Split multi-document YAML into individual inputs before converting, since only the first document is used.

Developer Notes

This tool calls `yamlToXml` from the YAML category's `lib/yaml-to-xml.ts`, which parses with the YAML category's `parseYaml` and then delegates the actual element-building to `jsonToXml` (from the JSON category) by re-serializing the parsed value as JSON first. That reuse means root-name handling and tag sanitization are identical to the JSON to XML converter's behavior.

YAML to XML Converter Use Cases

Feeding a YAML config into a legacy system or API that only accepts XML
Converting a Kubernetes manifest or CI config fragment into XML for a schema-driven tool
Previewing an XML shape before writing a permanent YAML-to-XML mapping in code
Generating XML test fixtures from YAML data you already maintain

Common Mistakes

Leaving the root element as the default when a downstream schema requires a specific tag name.
Expecting sequences to nest inside a wrapping element; they instead repeat the parent tag per item.
Assuming all documents in a multi-document YAML file are converted; only the first is used.

Tips

Use the reported line and column to jump straight to a YAML syntax error.
Pair with the XML to YAML Converter to check what a round trip does to your specific document.
Keep indentation consistent (spaces, not tabs) since YAML treats indentation as structurally significant.

YAML to XML Converter