This is a list of file formats used by computers, organized by type. Filename extension is usually noted in parentheses if they differ from the file format's name or abbreviation. Many operating systems do not limit filenames to one extension shorter than 4 characters, as was common with some operating systems that supported the File Allocation Table (FAT) file system. Examples of operating systems that do not impose this limit include Unix-like systems, and Microsoft Windows NT, 95-98, and ME which have no three character limit on extensions for 32-bit or 64-bit applications on file systems other than pre-Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.5 versions of the FAT file system. Some filenames are given extensions longer than three characters. While MS-DOS and NT always treat the suffix after the last period in a file's name as its extension, in UNIX-like systems, the final period does not necessarily mean that the text after the last period is the file's extension. Some file formats, such as or , may be listed multiple times.

Archive and compressed

Physical recordable media archiving

LemonOS/LemonTabOS/LemonRoid

Other extensions

Computer-aided design

Computer-aided is a prefix for several categories of tools (e.g., design, manufacture, engineering) which assist professionals in their respective fields (e.g., machining, architecture, schematics).

Computer-aided design (CAD)

Computer-aided design (CAD) software assists engineers, architects and other design professionals in project design.

Electronic design automation (EDA)

Electronic design automation (EDA), or electronic computer-aided design (ECAD), is specific to the field of electrical engineering.

Test technology

Files output from Automatic Test Equipment or post-processed from such.

Database

Big Data (Distributed)

Desktop publishing

Document

These files store formatted text and plain text.

Financial records

Financial data transfer formats

Font file

General purpose

These file formats allow for the rapid creation of new binary file formats.

Geographic information system

Graphical information organizers

Graphics

Color palettes

Color management

Raster graphics

Raster or bitmap files store images as a group of pixels.

Vector graphics

Vector graphics use geometric primitives such as points, lines, curves, and polygons to represent images.

3D graphics

3D graphics are 3D models that allow building models in real-time or non-real-time 3D rendering.

Links and shortcuts

Mathematical

Object code, executable files, shared and dynamically linked libraries

Object extensions:

Page description language

Personal information manager

Presentation

Project management software

Reference management software

Formats of files used for bibliographic information (citation) management.

Scientific data (data exchange)

Multi-domain

Meteorology

Chemistry

Mathematics

Biology

Molecular biology and bioinformatics:

Biomedical imaging

Biomedical signals (time series)

Other biomedical formats

Biometric formats

Security

Authentication and general encryption formats are listed here.

Certificates and keys

X.509

Encrypted files

This section shows file formats for encrypted general data, rather than a specific program's data.

Password files

Password files (sometimes called keychain files) contain lists of other passwords, usually encrypted.

Signal data (non-audio)

Sound and music

Lossless audio

Uncompressed

Compressed

Lossy audio

Tracker modules and related

Sheet music files

Other file formats pertaining to audio

Playlist formats

Audio editing and music production

Recorded television formats

Source code for computer programs

Spreadsheet

Tabulated data

Video

Video editing, production

Video game data

List of common file formats of data for video games on systems that support filesystems, most commonly PC games.

osu!

These formats are used by the video game osu!.

Minecraft

These formats are used by the video game Minecraft.

TrackMania/Maniaplanet Engine

Formats used by games based on the TrackMania engine.

Doom engine

Formats used by games based on the Doom engine.

Quake engine

Formats used by games based on the Quake engine.

Unreal Engine

Formats used by games based on the Unreal engine.

Duke Nukem 3D Engine

Formats used by games based on this engine.

Diablo Engine

Formats used by Diablo by Blizzard Entertainment.

Real Virtuality Engine

Formats used by Bohemia Interactive. Operation:Flashpoint, ARMA 2, VBS2

Roblox Studio engine

RBXL – Roblox Studio place file (XML, binary) RBXM – Roblox Studio model file (XML, binary) RBXLX – Roblox Studio place file (exclusively XML) RBXMX – Roblox Studio model file (exclusively XML)

Source engine

Formats used by Valve. Half-Life 2, Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source, Half-Life 2: Episode One, Team Fortress 2, Half-Life 2: Episode Two, Portal, Left 4 Dead, Left 4 Dead 2, Alien Swarm, Portal 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, Titanfall, Insurgency, Titanfall 2, Day of Infamy

Pokémon generation V

Other formats

Video game storage media

List of the most common filename extensions used when a game's ROM image or storage medium is copied from an original read-only memory (ROM) device to an external memory such as hard disk for back up purposes or for making the game playable with an emulator. In the case of cartridge-based software, if the platform specific extension is not used then filename extensions ".rom" or ".bin" are usually used to clarify that the file contains a copy of a content of a ROM. ROM, disk or tape images usually do not consist of one file or ROM, rather an entire file or ROM structure contained within one file on the backup medium.

Virtual machines

Microsoft Virtual PC, Virtual Server

VMware ESX, GSX, Workstation, Player

VirtualBox

Parallels Workstation

QEMU

Web page

Static Dynamically generated

Markup languages and other web standards-based formats

Other

Cursors

Generalized files

General data formats

These file formats are fairly well defined by long-term use or a general standard, but the content of each file is often highly specific to particular software or has been extended by further standards for specific uses.

Text-based

Generic file extensions

These are filename extensions and broad types reused frequently with differing formats or no specific format by different programs.

Binary files

Text files

Partial files

Differences and patches

Incomplete transfers

Temporary files