Excel to XML Converter
Get an XML file out of a spreadsheet without building an XML map in Excel first. Every row turns into a record element and every column header into the tag that holds that cell's value.
Data Converter
or drop CSV, TSV, TXT … files here ·
Max 95 MB per file· Up to 20 files· Deleted after 30 minutes
Files are processed on our servers and deleted after 30 minutes.
Character that separates columns in CSV and text files, for both reading and writing. Auto detects it from the input and writes commas.
UTF-8 works for every language. Choose UTF-8 with BOM if Excel on Windows shows garbled accents or Asian characters when opening the CSV.
Excel, ODS and Numbers input: convert the first sheet only, or every sheet (one CSV per sheet in a ZIP, or one JSON key per sheet).
Name of the sheet tab in the new spreadsheet, up to 31 characters.
Array of objects uses column names as keys for every row; array of arrays is more compact and keeps the header as the first array.
Name of the outer element that wraps all rows; each row becomes a <row> inside it.
Used in CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements. Letters, digits and underscores only.
Quoting and column types differ slightly between databases; pick the one you will import into.
Rewrite date cells in one format. ISO (2026-10-18) is safest for databases and code; keep leaves them as they appear in the source.
How to use this tool
- 1
Add the spreadsheet
Upload XLSX, XLS, XLSM or ODS files, up to 20 per batch and 95 MB each. Make sure row 1 holds the column names you want as tags.
- 2
Name the root element
Under Advanced settings, set XML root tag to the outer element your receiving system expects, such as products or employees. Leave Pretty print on for a readable, indented file.
- 3
Convert and validate
Press Convert to XML and download. If the receiver publishes an XSD schema, run the file through a validator before you send it.
Excel to XML takes the table on your first sheet and writes it as nested elements: one outer root, one record per row, one child tag per column, named after your headers.
Why convert Excel to XML at all
XML became a W3C Recommendation on February 10, 1998, and a generation of business software was built around it before JSON took over the web. Supplier portals, payroll and HR systems, catalog importers and many enterprise integrations still accept only XML uploads. Meanwhile the people who own the data, a purchasing assistant or an office manager, keep it in Excel. Someone has to bridge the two, usually the day before a deadline.
Excel can do it in theory. You enable the hidden Developer tab, write or load an XSD schema, drag each element onto a column to build an XML map and then export. That is reasonable for a monthly report with a fixed schema, and a lot of setup for a one-off file. The converter skips the mapping: headers become tag names, rows become records. If the receiving side would rather have JSON, Excel to JSON writes the same rows as objects.
Excel to XML converter example
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<products>
<row>
<sku>00418</sku>
<name>Cable tray & clips</name>
<stock>42</stock>
</row>
<row>
<sku>00419</sku>
<name>Footrest</name>
<stock>7</stock>
</row>
</products>Preparing the sheet so the XML validates
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
Use one header row with short names like unit_price or email | Start a header with a digit or put spaces in it |
| Keep one kind of record per sheet, such as only products or only employees | Merge cells across the header row or leave blank header cells |
| Format code columns like SKUs and ZIP codes as Text so leading zeros stay | Type the & or < escapes yourself; they are written for you, as in & above |
| Ask the receiver for its root element name and enter it under XML root tag | Leave total or subtotal rows at the bottom; they become fake records |
Ways to export XML from Excel compared
| UltKit | Excel XML map export | Excel XML Spreadsheet 2003 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Needs an XSD schema first | no | yes | no |
| Tag names come from your headers | yes | From the map | no |
| One element per row, readable by other systems | yes | yes | Cell and Row elements |
| Works with .xls, .ods and .numbers files | yes | Excel only | Excel only |
| Converts 20 files in one batch | yes | no | no |
XLSX and XML format details
XLSX
Microsoft Excel workbook
XLSX is Microsoft Excel's default workbook format since Office 2007, based on the Office Open XML standard. It stores multiple sheets, formulas, formatting, charts, pivot tables and data validation in a ZIP package of XML. It supports over a million rows per sheet and is the default exchange format for business spreadsheets. Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers open XLSX, though macros and advanced features may not carry over.
- Compression
- –
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 2007 · Microsoft
XML
Extensible Markup Language
XML is a markup language for structured data published by the W3C in 1998. It uses nested tags with attributes and supports schemas, namespaces and validation, which makes it robust for complex documents. It underlies RSS feeds, SVG, Office documents, sitemaps and many enterprise and government data exchanges. XML is verbose compared with JSON, but every programming language and many spreadsheet tools can read it.
- Compression
- –
- Transparency
- –
- Animation
- –
- Introduced
- 1998 · W3C
Excel becomes XML when data kept in a sheet must be delivered to a system that only ingests tagged records: a partner's import endpoint, an older ERP or CMS, or a test fixture that a schema validator checks.
Excel to XML: answers before you send the file
Why does Excel say my XML maps are not exportable?
Excel's own Export XML command only works through an XML map tied to a schema, and it refuses some map shapes, such as lists nested inside lists. This converter needs no map: it reads the sheet as a plain table and writes one record per row.
Isn't an XLSX file already XML?
Inside, yes. An .xlsx is a ZIP package of XML parts defined by ISO/IEC 29500. But a worksheet part stores cell references and pointers into a shared strings table, not readable records, so it is no use to a system that wants one element per customer or product.
Which header names make valid XML tags?
XML 1.0 allows letters, digits, hyphens, underscores and periods, but a name cannot start with a digit or contain spaces, and names beginning with xml are reserved. Rename headers such as 2025 Sales or Unit Price to sales_2025 and unit_price before converting.
Can I export every sheet of the workbook?
Set Sheets to convert to All sheets and each tab is converted as well, instead of only the first one. Keep one record type per sheet, because each sheet is treated as its own table.
What happens to formulas and cell formatting?
XML carries values, so a formula cell is written as its calculated result. Bold text, fill colors, column widths and comments are presentation and are not part of the output.
How do I get the XML back into a spreadsheet?
Use XML to Excel. Records become rows again and tags become column headers, so you can edit the data in Excel and convert it once more when the receiver needs an update.
