Observed arrival · 2026-10-21

OpenFormatDB: a field guide to stubborn file formats

openformatdb.org Visit website

Editorial interest 83/100 Selection signal · not a rating of the site

An open directory for identifying file formats, finding software that can read or write them, and tracing conversion options and their losses.

Landing page captured for the 2026-10-21 issue.

For: People identifying or converting unfamiliar files
Worth noticing: The project lists 1,954 conversions and says its identifier reads a file’s first bytes in the browser without uploading it.

Field notes

Format pages are described as covering recognition, software options, conversion steps and what a conversion loses. The homepage lists 3 aggregated sources and links back to each source; it also identifies separate licences for code and data, while noting that imported data keeps its source’s licence. A JSON API and contribution links are listed in the navigation.

Observed signals

Read the marks

Editorial observations of this landing page, not a rating.

○OpenPublic substance visible

✦PrettyNotable craft visible

●ProPolished or operationally mature

◎NicheUnusually specific use

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