Batch import XML into SQL Server TEXT / NTEXT / VARCHAR(MAX) / NVARCHAR(MAX)

Want to batch import XML documents into SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB) column?

Try Withdata DBBlobEditor, a SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB) editor, Bulk import XML into SQL Server, East and Fast.

• Can run in GUI mode, just a few mouse clicks.
• Can run in Command line, for Scheduled Tasks and Streams.
• Support Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Download DBBlobEditor
Windows 64 bit
Windows 32 bit
Linux .deb (For Debian, Ubuntu) 64 bit
Linux .rpm (For Red Hat, Fedora, SUSE) 64 bit
MacOS 64 bit

Batch import XML documents to SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB) column

Run DBBlobEditor, login to SQL Server.

Click “Start New Task – Import LOB From Files” at task dialog.

then show the wizard.

1. Configure import XML settings.

2. Bulk import XML files to SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB).

then you can see importing results

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More about SQL Server [TEXT, NTEXT, VARCHAR(MAX), NVARCHAR(MAX)] (CLOB) importer

XML → SQL Server reference

Type mapping

Value kind	in XML	in SQL Server
Int	<int>1234</int>	int
Bigint	<bigint>9007199254740993</bigint>	bigint
Decimal	<decimal>1234.56</decimal>	decimal(p,s)
Float	<float>1.234e10</float>	float
Text	<char>text</char>	nvarchar(n)
Long text	<text>multi-line text</text> (entities for &amp; &lt;)	nvarchar(max)
Date	<date>2026-09-18</date> (xs:date with an XSD)	date
Datetime	<datetime>2026-09-18T14:30:00Z</datetime> (xs:dateTime)	datetime2
Binary	<blob>base64...</blob> (xs:base64Binary)	varbinary(max)
Boolean	<bool>true</bool>	bit
JSON	escaped inside an element, or its own sub-tree	nvarchar(max)

Dialect differences

XML is a file format and SQL Server is a database server, so the target has to be told the types the file never carried - the rows below are where the two sides diverge.

Property	in XML	in SQL Server
port	—	1433
identifiers	Attribute values in quotes; entities (& < >) for ...	[square brackets]
row limit	—	SELECT TOP n
dates	Text (xs:date / xs:dateTime when an XSD is in play)	datetime, datetime2, date, time
long text	—	nvarchar(max)
binary	base64Binary / hexBinary inside text	varbinary(max)
separator	Tags, not delimiters	—
encoding	Declared in the XML declaration	—
typing	None in the markup itself	—
shape	Arbitrary tree	Tables of rows and columns
ceiling	Whole document is usually parsed into memory	—

Command line

Side	Command
SQL Server	bcp
SQL Server (load)	bcp, or BULK INSERT

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