SQL Server - Error Msg 9455, Level 16, State 1, Line

We will get this error when we are trying to query XML in SQL Server. 

Each and every XML node should have closing node like this <element>....</element>. XML will become invalid when it has backslash "\" instead of forward slash "/" and below error will be throwed :

Msg 9455, Level 16, State 1, Line 1
XML parsing: line 6, character 2, illegal qualified name character

To resolve the error :

DECLARE @X XML = '

<row>
<name>spt_fallback_db</name>
<schema_id>1</schema_id>
<type_desc>USER_TABLE</type_desc>
<\row>'SELECT @X


In the above XML, backslash "\" is used instead of forward slash "/" at the end <\row>



Check all the enclosing XML tags have forward slash "/" to fix or avoid this error.

Note : This error can also be encountered under various other scenarios. I will keep updating this article.

SELECT * FROM Sys.messages
WHERE language_id = 1033
AND message_id = 9455

See Also:

•   SQL Server Errors list