An XML file stores data using a text-based format with structured tags defining elements and their relationships. It's similar to HTML but designed for custom data storage, not web page display. You can open it with any text editor like Notepad or TextEdit to view and edit the underlying code directly. Web browsers can also display the raw structure for easy reading.

For practical use, web developers often open XML files in browsers like Chrome to inspect configuration feeds or API responses. Data analysts might import XML files into spreadsheet tools such as Microsoft Excel to convert structured data into tables for further manipulation and visualization.

The key advantage is platform independence and human-readable code. However, viewing raw XML without specific styling (XSLT) typically shows only the structured text, not formatted content like a final webpage. Specialized XML editors provide enhanced features like syntax highlighting and validation. Basic viewing remains simple with readily available tools.