diff --git a/test/test-web.lisp b/test/test-web.lisp
index 5079da1..07f010c 100644
--- a/test/test-web.lisp
+++ b/test/test-web.lisp
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
     (== parsed '(((:a :href "https://example.com") "Link")))
     ;(== (dom:from-list parsed) ((dom:a '(:href "https://example.com") "Link")))
     (== (dom:render (dom:from-list parsed)) inp)
+    (== (dom:to-list (dom:a '(:href "https://example.com") "Link")) (car parsed))
     ))
 
 (deftest test-dom ()
diff --git a/web/dom.lisp b/web/dom.lisp
index c8f5c08..def37fc 100644
--- a/web/dom.lisp
+++ b/web/dom.lisp
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
            #:dlist
            #:a #:dd #:div #:dl #:dt #:label
            #:br #:input
-           #:parse #:from-list))
+           #:parse #:from-list #:to-list))
 
 (in-package :scopes/web/dom)
 (defvar *this* *package*)
@@ -147,8 +147,6 @@
 
 ;;;; conversions (for testing or manipulation of HTML using dom)
 
-(defun to-list (&rest elems))
-
 (defun parse (html)
   (hp:parse-html html))
 
@@ -167,3 +165,13 @@
             (setf attr (cdr tag) tag (car tag)))
           (apply (sym tag) attr (from-list (cdr part))))))))
  
+(defgeneric to-list (s)
+  (:method ((s string)) s)
+  (:method ((s symbol)) s)
+  (:method ((s cons)) (reverse (mapcar #'to-list s))))
+
+ (defmethod to-list ((el xml-element))
+   (let* ((attrs (attrs el))
+          (tag (util:to-keyword (tag el)))
+          (head (if attrs (cons tag attrs) tag)))
+     (cons head (to-list (body el)))))