Definition: XML-RPC is a network programming technique for making remote procedure calls (RPC) to software running on remote devices. XML-RPC uses XML coding for calls and sends messages using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

Developers use XML-RPC to develop Web services. Reusable XML-RPC libraries are widely available for Windows, Java, modern scripting languages like Perl and Python, and other environments.

Because XML-RPC uses HTTP, these XML-RPC libraries function in firewall or proxied environments.

XML-RPC serves a similar function to Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), that supports remote object method invocations using XML over HTTP.

Alternate Spellings: xmlrpc