Resources · n8n integration

n8n XML nodeConfigure XML in n8n.

The n8n XML node turns a string of markup into structured data, and structured data back into markup. One head parameter drives it, Mode, with 2 directions of conversion. Point it at the property holding the payload and the rest of the workflow gets a shape it can read.

Try the XML node on n8nSee the 1 parameters

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Why automate

What does the n8n XML node actually do?

The XML node converts data from and to XML, and that is the whole job. You pick a direction, you name the property that holds the payload, and n8n hands the next node either a JSON object or a string of markup. It runs on every incoming item and never starts a workflow on its own, so a trigger such as a Schedule Trigger or a Webhook always sits in front of it.

The first pattern is an inbound feed. A supplier endpoint answers in XML, you call it with HTTP Request, and the body lands in a property as one long string. The XML node in xmlToJson mode parses it into an object, and from there Edit Fields (Set) can lift the fields you actually care about into clean keys.

The second pattern runs the other way. A partner system accepts orders as XML only, so you build the object in the workflow, switch Mode to jsonToxml, and send the result as the request body. The Root Name option decides the wrapping element, and Headless drops the XML header when the receiver refuses it.

The third pattern is routing. Once the markup is parsed, the values are ordinary JSON fields, so If can branch on a status and Merge can bring the parsed items back together with data from another branch. Nothing downstream needs to know the payload arrived as markup.

Two habits save time. If the XML sits inside a binary file, the Extract from File node converts it to text first, because this node reads a text property and not a file. And the options list changes with the direction: Attribute Key and Character Key show up in both modes, while Explicit Array, Normalize Tags or Trim only appear once XML to JSON is selected.

Limits are worth knowing before you build. Any option you do not add with Add option keeps its default value, so parsing behavior can differ between two nodes that look identical in the canvas. The node is at version 1, and an older workflow may show fewer options than a fresh one. For a wider view of where n8n fits, the n8n review covers the platform itself.

Parameters

Which parameters does the XML node expose?

The XML node has one parameter. For each one: the node as you configure it in n8n, what the parameter changes, and our field notes.

01

Mode

mode

What you see in n8n

Notes & use cases

Mode sets from and to what format the data should be converted, and every other choice on the node follows from it. You set it once per node, so a workflow that parses an answer and builds a reply uses 2 XML nodes rather than one.

Key parameters

  • Mode: xmlToJson converts data from XML to JSON, jsonToxml converts data from JSON to XML.
  • Property Name: required, the name of the property holding the data to convert, often {{ $json.data }} from the node before.
  • Options: opened with Add option, each one added shows as an extra field in the panel.
Use cases
parsing a product catalog before writing it to a sheet, or building an order document a logistics partner will accept.
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FAQ

XML node questions, answered

01Is the n8n XML node free to use?
Yes. It is a core node, shipped with n8n, so there is nothing to install and no extra cost on the n8n side. You get the same node on n8n Cloud, the hosted offer run by n8n, and on a self-hosted instance installed through Docker or npm under the Community Edition and its Sustainable Use licence. A workflow built in one place behaves the same in the other, which matters if you prototype on Cloud and later move the workflow onto your own server. Conversion happens inside your instance, so no third party sees the payload during the step.
02What do you need to configure before using it?
Nothing on the account side. This node has no credential and no Authentication selector, so there is no key to create, no scope to grant and no connection to test. The only setup is inside the node itself: choose the direction with Mode, and type the name of the property holding the payload. That property name is required, and an empty value stops the node from running. Because the node never starts a workflow, something has to run before it: a Schedule Trigger, a Webhook, or the trigger of whichever tool brings the data in.
03What are the limits of the XML node?
It converts, and that is the extent of it. If the markup arrives inside a binary file, the node cannot read it directly and the Extract from File node has to turn the file into text first. Options are split by direction, so the JSON to XML list and the XML to JSON list never show at the same time, and any option you do not add keeps its default value. The node is at version 1, and a workflow built earlier can display a version with fewer options, since a node never upgrades itself. Nothing is described here beyond what the node panel exposes.
04Should you use the XML node or Extract from File?
It depends on the shape of what you received. When the markup already sits in a text property, for example the body returned by an HTTP Request call, the XML node handles it on its own and no other step is needed. When the markup arrives as a file, an attachment or a download, Extract from File converts that binary into text and the XML node takes over from there. The two are a sequence rather than a choice. Keep in mind that HTTP Request is the fallback for calling an HTTP endpoint, never a replacement for the conversion itself.
05n8n or Make for XML conversion?
Both do the job, and the choice rarely comes down to the conversion step. Make is a hosted automation platform with no self-hosting option, billed per operation, so a workflow that parses a large feed item by item has a cost that grows with volume. n8n runs on Cloud or on your own server, which keeps the payload inside infrastructure you control and changes how the bill is calculated. Visual logic differs too, and teams used to one editor rarely find the other identical. Judge on hosting, data control, cost model and how your team reads a canvas.
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