Opening XML files

Did your computer fail to open a XML file? We explain what XML files are and recommend software that we know can open or convert your XML files.

What is a XML file?

Files that contain the .xml file extension are Extensible Markup Language files. XML files are structured text files. These files can contain a variety of content for an array of computer application purposes.

The XML file format uses custom tags that allow the transmission of files across applications and organizations. XML is very similar to HTML, but with stricter rules. For example, the tags that are created are case sensitive when writing in XML and they must be ended, unlike the tags that are used in HTML documents.

XML was initially created to replace the HTML language, although its use has become more versatile and HTML is still widely used today.