How to open XML in Excel
- Open or paste the XML. The element that repeats most often – for example
<product>or<row>– is chosen as the row automatically. - Check the preview. Choose another element under Rows from element if you need different rows.
- Click Download Excel (.xlsx) and open the file in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers or LibreOffice.
How XML becomes rows and columns
| XML | Excel |
|---|---|
| Each repeating record element | One row |
Attribute id="7" on the record | Column @id |
Child element <name> | Column name |
Nested <address><city> | Column address.city |
Attribute on a child, <price currency="EUR"> | Column price.@currency |
Repeated children such as several <tag> | One cell, values joined with “; ” |
Plain numbers such as 39.90 | Numeric cells; leading zeros and long IDs stay text |
Why not open the XML in Excel directly?
Excel for Windows can import XML through Data → Get Data → From File → From XML or the Developer tab, but it needs an XML map or several Power Query steps, and the import is not available in Excel for the web. This converter works in any browser and produces a plain .xlsx file that opens everywhere, with a bold, frozen header row and filters already switched on.
Frequently asked questions
Can I convert XML to CSV instead?
Yes. XML to CSV creates a plain text file with the same columns and your choice of delimiter, ready for databases and scripts.
How many rows can the spreadsheet have?
Up to Excel's limit of 1,048,576 rows per sheet. The preview shows the first 200 rows; the downloaded file contains all of them.
Which XML files work best?
Files with a list of similar records, such as products, orders, transactions or contacts. Deeply nested documents work too: nested values become dot-path columns, and you choose which element defines a row.
Is my data uploaded?
No. The .xlsx file is created in your browser, so your XML never leaves your device.