> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.bindplane.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.bindplane.com/integrations/processors/parse-simplified-xml.md).

# Parse Simplified XML

Parses an XML string into a structured map you can address by field, the way Parse JSON does for JSON. Attributes are not parsed, only elements and their text.

### Supported Telemetry Types

| Logs | Metrics | Traces |
| ---- | ------- | ------ |
| ✓    | ✓       | ✓      |

Choose Telemetry Type picks one signal per processor instance. Add another instance to handle a second signal.

### Configuration

#### Basic Configuration

<figure><img src="/files/p5T0jestl0dXvAZmiJxs" alt="Bindplane docs - Parse Simplified XML - image 1"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**When to apply**

| Parameter             | Type               | Required | Default   | Description                                                                                                          |
| --------------------- | ------------------ | -------- | --------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Choose Telemetry Type | Telemetry Selector | Yes      | Logs      | The signal this instance runs on: Logs, Metrics, or Traces (one at a time).                                          |
| Condition             | OTTL Condition     | No       | *(empty)* | Parse only the records that match. A `not IsMap(body)` guard avoids re-parsing a record whose body is already a map. |

**Source and target fields**

| Parameter         | Type                                    | Required | Default   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------- | -------- | --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Source Field Type | Enum: Resource, Attribute, Body, Custom | Yes      | Attribute | Where the XML string is read from. **Body is logs-only.** Custom takes any OTTL path.                                                                                                                       |
| Source Field      | OTTL Field                              | Yes \*   | —         | The field holding the XML. Bracket notation for nested fields. For a Body source, leave empty to use the whole body.                                                                                        |
| Target Field Type | Enum: Resource, Attribute, Body, Custom | Yes      | Attribute | Where the parsed map is written. **Body is logs-only.**                                                                                                                                                     |
| Target Field      | OTTL Field                              | Yes \*   | —         | Destination for the parsed map. If the target already holds a map, the parsed keys are merged into it; otherwise the target is set to the parsed map. For a Body target, leave empty to use the whole body. |

\* The **Body** field type is the exception: it's optional, and leaving it empty targets the entire body.

**Body is available for Logs only.** For Metrics and Traces, the field type options are Resource, Attribute, and Custom.

### Examples

#### Parse normalized Windows Event XML into a nested map

<figure><img src="/files/RQmlsDYNB1PyrFEBmS42" alt="Bindplane docs - Parse Simplified XML - image 2"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Configuration Tips

* Attributes are dropped. If the XML carries meaningful attribute values, run **Convert XML Attributes To Elements** first.
* Empty elements can be lost. Back-fill them with **Insert XML Elements** (for example into `//Data[not(text())]`) before parsing if those values matter.

### Troubleshooting

#### Nothing gets parsed

Symptoms: the target field is unchanged or empty after the processor runs.

Solutions:

1. Confirm the source field holds a valid XML string and the Condition evaluates true.
2. If you used a `not IsMap(...)` guard, make sure the target isn't already a map from an earlier step.

### Standalone Processor

```yaml
apiVersion: bindplane.observiq.com/v1
kind: Processor
metadata:
  name: parse-simplified-xml
spec:
  type: parse_simple_xml
  parameters:
    - name: telemetry_types
      value: Logs
    - name: log_condition
      value: not IsMap(body)
    - name: log_source_field_type
      value: Body
    - name: log_body_source_field
      value: ""
    - name: log_target_field_type
      value: Body
    - name: log_body_target_field
      value: ""
```

### Related Resources

* [ParseSimplifiedXML — OTTL function reference](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector-contrib/blob/main/pkg/ottl/ottlfuncs/README.md#parsesimplifiedxml)

### Bindplane Resources

These XML and slice processors are designed to work together. Chain them to normalize, parse, and reshape XML end to end:

* [Convert XML Attributes To Elements](/integrations/processors/convert-xml-attributes-to-elements.md)
* [Convert XML Text To Elements](/integrations/processors/convert-xml-text-to-elements.md)
* [Insert XML Elements](/integrations/processors/insert-xml-elements.md)
* [Slice to Map](/integrations/processors/slice-to-map.md)
* [Get XML](/integrations/processors/get-xml.md)
* [Remove XML](/integrations/processors/remove-xml.md)


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