---
schema_version: "1"
id: 71c6778fd374c9810ce39bf3dbf0e994315bd663266ebbaa96bd217333c892c5
title: Convert XML
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/mktg/264-0-0/mc_as_convert_xml.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=mktg.mc_as_convert_xml.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: 071b359c95160e99abbb3b25e052a7c8a3abe81f198756c418b3dcd6f4b82fd3
description: This data extract type converts XML files to delimited files so that you can import them into data extensions. Use this extract for simple XML files only. Files that have subnodes on attributes require a different process. Contact Salesforce Support for additional information.
products:
  - Marketing
  - Marketing Cloud Engagement
release: "264"
---
# Convert XML

This data extract type converts XML files to delimited files so that you can import them into data extensions. Use this extract for simple XML files only. Files that have subnodes on attributes require a different process. Contact Salesforce Support for additional information.

The Convert XML data extract requires the information described in this table.

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:50%">
          <col style="width:50%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d51208e41">Field</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d51208e44">Description</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e41 ">Name</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e44 ">The name of the data extract.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e41 ">External Key</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e44 ">A unique ID that identifies the extract in API requests.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e41 ">Description</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e44 ">A description of the data extract.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e41 ">File Naming Pattern</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e44 ">
              <p>The name of the file created by the extract process. You can include these wildcards:</p>
              <ul>
                <li><code>%%Year%%</code></li>
                <li><code>%%Month%%</code></li>
                <li><code>%%Day%%</code></li>
              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e41 ">CreateColumnHeaders checkbox</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e44 ">This checkbox indicates whether the XML file used in the conversion contains
              information used to create column headers. If the XML file does contain this
              information, you can map the resulting delimited file for import by column heading.
              If the XML file doesn’t contain header information, map the delimited file by
              ordinal when you import the data.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e41 ">FileFormat</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e44 ">
              <p>Indicates the file type for the exported file:</p>
              <ul>
                <li><code>csv</code> - indicates a comma-delimited
                  file</li>
                <li><code>tab</code> - indicates a tab-delimited file</li>
              </ul>
              <p style="margin-bottom:0;">The default value is <code>tab</code>.</p>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e41 ">InputFileName</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e44 ">The XML file for the activity to convert. This activity requires files on your
              FTP server. The activity creates the output file in the same location on the FTP
              server.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Field" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e41 ">QuoteCharacter</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d51208e44 ">The quote character to use to differentiate attributes in the XML file from the
              element names.</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

The last field contains the name of the element for which the converting process creates a row.

![Example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-mktg-mc_journeys_and_automations-264-0-0-production-enus/e08cdd71-c1c1-4ae5-a5e9-8a6dad583ad4/images/icon_example.png)

Example This example XML file uses /subscribers/subscriber to indicate when a new record starts:

```markup
<subscribers>
  <subscriber> 
    <first_name>Lee</first_name> 
    <last_name>Billings</last_name> 
    <email>lbillings@example.com</email>
  </subscriber> 
  <subscriber>
    <first_name>Kris</first_name> 
    <last_name>Rogers</last_name> 
    <email>kris_rogers@example.com</email>
  </subscriber>
</subscribers>
```