SVG Logo Is Not Well-Formed XML

Logo & SVG

The exact error

SVG logo is not well-formed XML

XML declaration has version 1.2; SVG logos use XML version 1.0 (line 1)

SVG logo has XML that IPF cannot read (line 3)

What Does “SVG Logo Is Not Well-Formed XML” Mean?

An SVG file is an XML document. Before a validator can check the logo against the SVG Tiny P/S profile, it must parse the file as XML. This error means the parse failed, so the validator stopped and did not check anything else in the logo.

The error gives the first line with a problem. Lines after it can have more problems that the validator has not reported yet.

Why Does “SVG Logo Is Not Well-Formed XML” Appear?

Common causes:

A tag that is not closed, or tags that close in the wrong order.
An unescaped & or < in text or in an attribute value.
An attribute value without quotes, or the same attribute two times on one element.
An XML declaration with a version other than 1.0, such as 1.2. SVG Tiny 1.2 is version 1.2 of SVG, not of XML, and the XML version must stay 1.0.
An empty file, or a file that a tool cut off during upload or export.

IncorrectXML declaration with the wrong version

<?xml version="1.2" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.2" baseProfile="tiny-ps" viewBox="0 0 96 96">
  <title>Example</title>
</svg>

The SVG version is 1.2. The XML version is 1.0.

CorrectXML declaration with version 1.0

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.2" baseProfile="tiny-ps" viewBox="0 0 96 96">
  <title>Example</title>
</svg>

How Do You Fix “SVG Logo Is Not Well-Formed XML”?

Open the logo in a text editor and go to the line that the error gives. Correct the XML at that line. If the logo has an XML declaration, set its version to 1.0.

If the file is empty or cut off, export the logo again from your design tool as SVG Tiny P/S and upload the new file.

What Should You Verify After Fixing “SVG Logo Is Not Well-Formed XML”?

Validate the logo again. Because the validator stops at the first XML problem, a fixed logo can show new errors that the broken XML hid before. Correct those too, and validate the file at the published l= URL, not only your local copy.

Key Takeaways

The logo must parse as XML before any other BIMI check can run.
The error gives the first line with a problem.
The XML version is always 1.0, even though the SVG version is 1.2.
After you fix it, validate again: other errors can appear.

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