I’m working on creating a custom Zapier integration and running into issues with XML parsing. When I make HTTP requests to an external API, the response comes back in XML format but I can’t seem to process it correctly in my Node.js code.
I’ve tried a few different approaches but nothing seems to work properly. The XML data I’m getting looks valid when I log it, but when I try to convert it to a JavaScript object or extract specific values, I keep running into errors.
Has anyone dealt with similar XML parsing challenges in Zapier apps? What’s the best way to handle XML responses in a Node.js environment for Zapier? Are there specific libraries or methods that work well for this use case?
cheerio’s perfect for xml parsing if you know jQuery selectors. load your xml with cheerio.load() and grab elements like $(“elementname”).text(). way easier than learning new syntax. just remember to set xmlMode or it won’t parse right.
I faced similar XML parsing issues while creating a Zapier integration. I found that using the xml2js library really simplified the process. After installing it via npm, I used the parseString method in my API call’s callback. A common pitfall is that xml2js defaults to converting elements into arrays, which can be confusing for single items. To avoid this, set the ‘explicitArray’ option to false. Also, be cautious about managing asynchronous code, as the parser’s completion needs to be awaited before accessing the parsed data.
fast-xml-parser is my go-to for XML in Zapier integrations. Way faster than xml2js and the output’s much cleaner - none of that nested array mess. You can set it up to keep attributes and handle namespaces, which you’ll need for API responses. Pro tip I learned the hard way: always validate the XML structure first. Some APIs send broken XML when things go wrong. I wrap everything in try-catch blocks and have a backup plan for invalid XML. Also, set your charset explicitly on HTTP requests - encoding issues will kill your parsing silently and you won’t know why.