What Is a .bat File? .bat Format, MIME & How to Open

Quick facts

Extension.bat

File typeWindows Batch File

MIME typeapplication/x-msdownload

CategoryExecutable

Charset—

Compressible—

Format familybatch

What is .bat

What is a .bat file?

A .bat file is a Windows Batch File — Windows batch command script.

In the mime-db registry it maps to application/x-msdownload. When serving .bat over HTTP, set the Content-Type header as shown in Developer info below.

Related entities: it maps to application/x-msdownload and is used by Batchfile among others — and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header.

How to open .bat files

Use cmd or Notepad++ to open and edit .bat files.
Any text editor (Notepad, VS Code) can inspect the raw content as text.

Developer info

When served over HTTP, responses should set the following header:

Content-Type: application/x-msdownload

Common software that reads/writes .bat:

cmdNotepad++

Relation chain

.batextension of

format

batchserved as

mime type

application/x-msdownloadsent via header

http header

Content-Type

Related extensions

.cmd

Windows Command Script

.com

COM Executable

Related MIME types

application/x-msdownload

.exe .dll .com

Related programming languages

Batchfile

.bat .cmd

Common uses

Running programs
Installing software
System libraries

How to edit .bat files

Open the file with cmd, make your changes and save.
Most editors preserve the original formatting and encoding — avoid changing the charset.

How to create .bat files

Create a new file and save it with the .bat extension, or export this format from cmd.

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .bat files?

Common options include cmd, Notepad++. You can also open many of these files with built-in viewers or a browser.

How do I create a .bat file?

Create a new file in any text editor or the app that owns the format and save it with the .bat extension.

What is the relationship between .bat and the application/x-msdownload MIME type?

application/x-msdownload is the media type identifier used for .bat files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-08-18

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