List of file formats

The following is a list of file formats used by computers, organized by type. Filename extensions are noted in parentheses if they differ from the file format name or abbreviation. Some file formats, such as, may be listed multiple times.

File compression / Archive

 * 7Z – 7-Zip compressed file
 * AAC – Advanced Audio Coding
 * ACE – ACE compressed file
 * ALZ – ALZip compressed file
 * APK – Applications installable on Android
 * APPX – Microsoft Application Package
 * ARC – pre-Zip data compression
 * ARJ – ARJ compressed file
 * BIN – compressed archive, can be read and used by CD-ROMs and Java, extractable by 7-Zip and WinRAR
 * BKF – Microsoft backup created by NTBackup
 * BZ2 – bzip2
 * CAB – Microsoft Cabinet
 * CPT – Compact Pro (Macintosh)
 * DAA – Closed-format, Windows-only compressed disk image
 * DEB – Debian install package
 * DMG – Apple compressed/encrypted disk format
 * DN – Adobe Dimension CC file format
 * GHO – Norton Ghost
 * GIF – Graphics Interchange Format
 * GZ – GZip compressed file
 * IPG – format in which Apple Inc. packages their iPod games
 * JAR – Java application
 * JSP – Java Server Pages
 * LBR – Library file
 * LZ – LZip compressed file
 * RAR – WinRAR archive
 * VOL – video game data package
 * ZIP – file compression

Computer-aided Design

 * 3DXML – Dassault Systemes graphic representation
 * 3MF – Microsoft 3D Manufacturing Format
 * AMF – Additive Manufacturing File Format
 * AEC – DataCAD drawing format
 * DWG –
 * EDRW – eDrawings drawing file
 * SLDASM – Solidworks Assembly drawing
 * SLDDRW – Solidworks 2D drawing
 * SLDPRT – Solidworks 3D part model

Database

 * 4DB – 4D database Structure file
 * 4DD – 4D database Data file
 * 4DINDY – 4D database Structure Index file
 * 4DINDX – 4D database Data Index file
 * 4DR – 4D database Data resource file
 * ACCDB – Microsoft Access database
 * ACCDE – Microsoft Access compiled database
 * ADP – Microsoft Access project
 * APR – Lotus Approach data entry and reports
 * BOX – Lotus Notes Post Office mail routing database
 * DAT – DOS Basic
 * DB – SQLite
 * FDB – Firebird Database
 * FRM – MySQL table definition
 * GTABLE – Google Drive Fusion Table
 * MDA – Microsoft Access database add-in
 * MDB – Microsoft Access database
 * MYD – MySQL MyISAM table data
 * MYI – MySQL MyISAM table index
 * NCF – Lotus Notes configuration file
 * NSF – Lotus Notes database
 * NTF – Lotus Notes database design template
 * ODB – LibreOffice Base or OpenOffice Base database
 * PCONCTACT – WinIM Contact file
 * PDB – Palm OS Database
 * PRC – Palm OS resource database
 * SQL – bundled SQL queries

Documents

 * ABW – AbiWord document
 * ACL – Microsoft Word Autocorrect List
 * ANS – American National Standards Institute (ANSI) text
 * ASC – ASCII text
 * CSV – ASCII text as comma-separated values, used in spreadsheets and database management systems
 * DBK – DocBook XML sub-format
 * DOC – Microsoft Word 97-2003 document
 * DOCM – Microsoft Word macro-enabled document
 * DOCX – Office Open XML document
 * DOT – Microsoft Word document template
 * DOTX – Office Open XML document template
 * EPUB – open standard format for e-books
 * FDX – Final Draft screenplay document
 * GDOC – Google Drive document
 * HTML – HyperText Markup Language (.html, .htm)
 * LOG – text log file


 * LWP – Lotus Word Pro document
 * MCW – Microsoft Word for Macintosh document (versions 4.0 to 5.1)
 * MD – Markdown text document
 * ODM – OpenDocument master document
 * ODT – OpenDocument text document
 * OTT – OpenDocument text document template
 * PAGES – Pages document
 * PDF – Portable Document Format
 * RTF – Rich Text Document
 * TXT – ASCII or Unicode plain text file
 * WPD – WordPerfect document
 * WPS – Microsoft Works document
 * WPT – Microsoft Works document template
 * WRI – Microsoft Write document
 * XHTML – eXtensible HyperText Markup Language (.xhtml, .xht)
 * XML – eXtensible Markup Language
 * XPS – Open XML Paper Specification

Desktop publishing

 * AI – Adobe Illustrator
 * AVE / ZAVE – Aquafadas
 * CPT – Corel Photo-Paint
 * FM – Adobe FrameMaker
 * INDD – Adobe InDesign
 * MCF – FotoInsight Designer
 * PDF – Adobe Acrobat
 * PMD – Adobe PageMaker
 * PPP – Serif PagePlus
 * PSD – Adobe Photoshop
 * PUB – Microsoft Publisher
 * WLMP – Windows Movie Maker project file
 * XCF – GIMP file format

Fonts

 * ABF – Adobe Binary Screen Font
 * AFM – Adobe Font Metrics
 * BDF – Bitmap Distribution Format
 * FON – Bitmapped Font - Microsoft Windows
 * OTF – OpenType Font
 * TTF – TrueType Font

Color palettes

 * ACT – Adobe Color Table
 * ASE – Adobe Swatch Exchange
 * GPL – GIMP palette file
 * PAL – Microsoft RIFF palette file

Raster graphics

 * ART – America Online proprietary format
 * BLP – Blizzard Entertainment proprietary texture format
 * BMP – Microsoft Windows Bitmap formatted image
 * DDS – DirectX texture file
 * GIF – Graphics Interchange Format by CompuServe
 * ICNS – MacOS icon format
 * ICO – Microsoft Windows icon format
 * JNG –
 * JPEG, JFIF – Joint Photographic Experts Group
 * JP2 – JPEG2000
 * JPS – JPEG stereo
 * MNG – animated version of PNG
 * OTB – Over the Air bitmap, a specification designed by Nokia for black and white images for mobile phones
 * PBM – Portable Bitmap
 * PDN – Paint .NET image file
 * PICT, PCT – Apple Macintosh PICT image
 * PNG – Portable Network Graphics
 * PNS – PNG Stereo
 * PSD, PDD – Adobe Photoshop drawing
 * TGA – Truevision TGA image (.tga, .targa, .icb, .vda, .vst, .pix)
 * TIFF – Tagged Image File Format (.tiff, .tif)

Vector graphics

 * AI – Adobe Illustrator Document
 * AWG – Ability Draw format
 * EMF – Enhanced Windows Metafile, an extension of WMF
 * ODG – OpenDocument Drawing
 * SVG – Scalable Vector Graphics, employs XML
 * SXD – OpenOffice.org XML (obsolete) Drawing
 * VSD – Microsoft Visio vector format
 * WMF – Windows Metafile

3D graphics

 * 3DMF – QuickDraw 3D metafile
 * 3DS – legacy 3D Studio model
 * 3MF – Microsoft 3D Manufacturing Format
 * ABC – Alembic graphics format
 * AMF – Additive Manufacturing file format
 * AN8 – Anim8or model
 * B3D – Blitz3D Model
 * BLEND – Blender 3D model
 * BLOCK – Blender encrypted blend files
 * C4D – Cinema 4D
 * CAL3D – Cal3D
 * CFL – Compressed File Library
 * CTM – OpenCTM
 * DTS – Torque Game Engine
 * EGG – Panda3D Engine
 * FBX – Autodesk FBX
 * GLB – a binary form of gITF required to be loaded in Facebook 3D Posts
 * gITF – the JSON standard developed by Khronos Group)
 * JAS – Cheetah 3D file
 * LWO – Lightwave Object
 * LWS – Lightwave Scene
 * MDX – Blizzard Entertainment's model format
 * PRC – Adobe PRC (embedded in PDF files)
 * R3D – Realsoft 3D (Real-3D)
 * RWX – RenderWare object
 * SKP – Google SketchUp file
 * SLDASM – SolidWorks Assembly Document
 * SLDPRT – SolidWorks Part Document
 * U3D – Universal 3D format
 * WINGS – Wings 3D
 * X – DirectX 3D model
 * X3D – Extensible 3D model

Mathematical

 * MML – MathML markup language
 * ODF – OpenDocument math formula

Links / Shortcuts

 * APPREF-MS – file shortcut format used by ClickOnce
 * DESKTOP – desktop entry on Linux Desktop environments
 * JNLP – Java Network Launching Protocol, an XML file used by Java Web Start for starting Java applets over the Internet.
 * LNK – file shortcut used in Microsoft Windows 95 and later
 * URL – INI file pointing to a URL/Internet shortcut in Microsoft Windows

Object code / Executables

 * APK – Android Application Package
 * CLASS – Java bytecode
 * COM – commands used in DOS
 * DLL – library used in Windows and OS/2 to store data, resources, and code
 * EAR – Java enterprise application archive
 * IPA – iOS executable file
 * JAR – Java application archive
 * OCX – Object Control extension
 * TLB – Windows Type Library
 * VBX – Visual Basic extension
 * WAR – Archives of Java web applications
 * XAP – Windows Phone package
 * XBE – Xbox executable
 * XEX – Xbox 360 executable
 * XPI – PKZIP archive that can be run by Mozilla web browsers to install software

Page description languages

 * CSS – Cascading Style Sheets
 * DVI – Device independent format
 * EGT – Universal Document that can be used to store CSS type styles
 * PDF – Portable Document Format
 * PS – PostScript
 * SNP – Microsoft Access Report Snapshot
 * XPS – XML Paper Specification
 * XSLT, XSL – XML Style Sheet

Personal information manager

 * MSG – Microsoft Outlook task manager
 * ORG – Lotus Organizer PIM package
 * OST, PST – Microsoft Outlook email communication
 * SC2 – Microsoft Schedule+ calendar

Presentation

 * GSLIDES – Google Drive Presentation
 * KEY, KEYNOTE – Apple Keynote presentation
 * ODP – OpenDocument Presentation
 * OTP – OpenDocument Presentation template
 * PEZ – Prezi Desktop Presentation
 * POT – Microsoft PowerPoint template
 * PPS – Microsoft PowerPoint Show
 * PPT – Microsoft PowerPoint Presentation
 * PPTX – Office Open XML Presentation
 * THMX – Microsoft PowerPoint theme template

Programming / Scripts

 * AHK – AutoHotkey script
 * BAT – Batch file
 * CMD – Batch file
 * CPP – C++ file
 * HTA – HTML Application
 * JS – JavaScript file
 * LUA – Lua script
 * PHP – PHP: HyperText Preprocessor
 * PL – Perl
 * PY – Python
 * PYC – Python byte code files
 * PYO – Python
 * SB2 – Scratch drag-and-drop script
 * SH – Shell script
 * VBS – Visual Basic Script

Uncompressed

 * 8SVX – Commodore-Amiga 8-bit sound
 * 16SVX – Commodore-Amiga 16-bit sound
 * AIFF, AIF, AIFC – Audio Interchange File Format
 * BWF – Broadcast Wave Format, an extension of WAVE
 * CDDA – Compact Disc Digital Audio
 * RAW – raw samples without any header or sync
 * WAV – Microsoft Wave

Compressed

 * RA, RM – RealAudio format
 * FLAC – Free lossless codec of the Ogg project
 * LA – Lossless Audio
 * TTA – Free lossless audio codeci (True Audio)
 * WV – WavPack
 * WMA – Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless format

Lossy

 * MP1 – MPEG Layer 1
 * MP2 – MPEG Layer 2
 * MP3 – MPEG Layer 3
 * WMA – Windows Media Audio
 * AAC – Advanced Audio Coding
 * SWA – Macromedia Shockwave Audio
 * OGG – Ogg Vorbis format

Spreadsheet

 * 123 – Lotus 1-2-3
 * GSHEET – Google Drive spreadsheet
 * NUMBERS – Numbers spreadsheet
 * ODS – OpenDocument spreadsheet
 * OTS – OpenDocument spreadsheet template
 * WKS – Microsoft Works
 * XLK – Microsoft Excel worksheet backup
 * XLS – Microsoft Excel 97-2003 spreadsheet
 * XLSB – Microsoft Excel binary workbook
 * XLSM – Microsoft Excel macro-enabled workbook
 * XLSX – Office Open XML worksheet
 * XLT – Microsoft Excel worksheet template

Video

 * 3GP – common video format for cell phones
 * AAF – holds edit decisions and rendering information; Advanced Authoring Format
 * ASF – container
 * AVCHD – Advanced Video Codec High Definition
 * AVI – container
 * DAT – video standard data file
 * FLV – Adobe Flash video
 * GIF – animation format
 * M4V – video container file format developed by Apple Inc.
 * MOV – QuickTime video format
 * MPEG
 * MP4 – multimedia container
 * OGG – container, multimedia
 * RM – RealMedia
 * WMV – Windows Media Video
 * WTV – Windows Vista's and later Windows Media Center recorded television format
 * WebM – video file format for web video using HTML5

Video editing and production

 * FCP – Final Cut Pro project file
 * MSWMM – Windows Movie Maker project file
 * PPJ, PRPROJ – Adobe Premiere Pro video editing file
 * IMOVIEPROJ – iMovie project file
 * VEG, VEG-BAK – Sony Vegas project file
 * WLMP – Windows Live Movie Maker project file
 * IMOVIEMOBILE – iMovie project for iOS users

Video game data

 * MCA – format used by Minecraft for storing in-game worlds
 * MCADDON – format used by Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition for in-game add-ons
 * MCFUNCTION – format used by Minecraft for storing functions
 * MCMETA – format used by Minecraft for storing data for customizable texture packs for the game
 * MCPACK – format used by Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition for in-game texture packs
 * MCR – format used by Minecraft for storing data for in-game worlds before version 1.2
 * MCTEMPLATE – format used by Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition for world templates
 * MCWORLD – format used by Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition for in-game worlds
 * NBT – format used by Minecraft for storing program variables along with their (Java) type identifiers
 * VVVVVV – format used by the VVVVVV platformer

Virtual machines

 * VDI – VirtualBox Virtual Disk Image

Web pages

 * ADP – AOLserver Dynamic Page
 * ASP – Microsoft's Active Server Pages
 * ASPX – Microsoft's Active Server Page .NET
 * CFM – ColdFusion
 * CGI
 * DTD – Document Type Definition
 * HTML – HyperText Markup Language
 * IHTML – Inline HTML
 * JSON-LD – a JSON-based serialization for linked data
 * JSP – JavaServer Pages
 * LASSO – Lasso programming langue file (.las, .lasso, .lassoapp)
 * MAFF – web archive based on ZIP
 * Metalink – Metadata about downloads such as mirrors, checksums, etc. (.metalink, .met)
 * MD – Markdown language (.markdown, .md)
 * PL – Perl
 * PHP – PHP: HyperText Processor
 * RSS – syndication format (.xml)
 * XHTML – eXtensible HyperText Markup Language

Other

 * ANI – Animated cursor file
 * AXD – cooke extensions found in temporary internet folder
 * CRDOWNLOAD – partly complete Google Chrome download
 * CUR – Cursor file
 * HLP – Windows help file
 * INF – similar to INI file, used to install device drivers under Microsoft Windows
 * LNK – Microsoft Windows format for hyperlinks and executables
 * PART – partly complete Firefox download
 * PARTIAL – partly complete Internet Explorer or Microsoft Edge download
 * PIF – used to run MS-DOS programs under Windows
 * TEMP, TMP – temporary file (.temp, .tmp, etc.)