Convert Excel to XML
Export a worksheet as clean XML, without an XML map.
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Guide
Excel to XML: the complete guide
Last updated 2 min read
About this tool
PrivateCSV converts one sheet of an Excel workbook (.xlsx, .xlsm, .xls or .ods) into a well-formed UTF-8 XML document. Each row becomes an element and each column a child element named after its header, with names like “Unit Price” fixed into valid tags. Unlike Excel's own XML export, it needs no XML schema and no Developer tab. The workbook is read in your browser and never uploaded.
How to convert Excel to XML
- Choose the workbook and, if it has several sheets, the sheet to convert.
- Leave “First row is a header” ticked to name the elements after the columns.
- Set the root and row element names the target system requires; rows and row are the defaults.
- Click Convert to XML and download the file.
Example
Stored values, ISO dates and valid tag names.
SKU | Unit Price | In stock | Added
LMP-01 | 24.90 € | TRUE | 15/01/2024<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rows>
<row>
<SKU>LMP-01</SKU>
<Unit_Price>24.9</Unit_Price>
<In_stock>true</In_stock>
<Added>2024-01-15</Added>
</row>
</rows>When you need it
- Product and price feeds
- Catalogs and price lists are usually maintained in Excel, while many suppliers, marketplaces and comparison sites take XML feeds.
- Portals and systems that require XML uploads
- Accounting, banking and public administration portals often accept XML only. Converting the sheet gives you a clean document to adapt to their format.
- A structured, text-based copy of a sheet
- XML can be read by every programming language and versioned in Git, without needing Excel to open it.
Why not use Excel's own XML export?
Excel exports XML only through an XML map: you add an XML schema (XSD) on the Developer tab, map each column to an element, then export. Its other option, “XML Spreadsheet 2003”, saves the workbook in Microsoft's SpreadsheetML format, full of styles and cell metadata rather than a simple list of records. This converter writes one element per row, directly.
How cells are written
- Headers become valid tag names: spaces and symbols turn into “_”, names starting with a digit get a “_” prefix, and duplicates are numbered.
- Numbers are written as stored (24.9 rather than 24.90 €), dates as ISO 8601 (2024-01-15) and TRUE/FALSE as true/false.
- Formulas are exported as the value last calculated and saved in the workbook.
- &, < and > in text are escaped, and empty cells become empty elements so every row has the same structure.
Limits to know about
- Every column becomes a child element; no attributes or namespaces are written.
- One sheet per conversion.
- The output is not validated against an XSD schema.
- Password-protected workbooks cannot be opened. Save an unprotected copy first.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert an Excel file to XML?
Choose the workbook, pick the sheet, adjust the element names if needed and click Convert to XML. Each row becomes one element in the downloaded file.
Do I need an XML schema or an XML map?
No. Excel needs both to export XML, but this converter builds the structure from your header row: one element per row, one child element per column.
What is the difference with Excel's XML Spreadsheet 2003 format?
XML Spreadsheet 2003 describes the whole workbook, including styles, column widths and cell types, in Microsoft's own vocabulary. The XML produced here contains only your data, as records that any system can read.
How are dates and numbers written in the XML?
Dates become ISO 8601 strings such as 2024-01-15, or 2024-01-15T13:45:00 with a time. Numbers are written as stored, without currency symbols or thousands separators, which is what receiving systems parse reliably.
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