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

Quick facts

Extension.ini

File typeINI Configuration

MIME typetext/plain

CategoryData & Text

Charset—

CompressibleYes

Format familyini

What is .ini

What is a .ini file?

A .ini file is a INI Configuration — Simple key-value configuration format with sections.

In the mime-db registry it maps to text/plain, and it is marked as compressible. When serving .ini over HTTP, set the Content-Type header as shown in Developer info below.

Related entities: it maps to text/plain and is used by INI among others — and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header.

How to open .ini files

Use Notepad or VS Code to open and edit .ini 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: text/plain

Common software that reads/writes .ini:

NotepadVS Code

Relation chain

.iniextension of

format

iniserved as

mime type

text/plainsent via header

http header

Related extensions

Related MIME types

Related programming languages

INI

.ini .cfg .cnf

Common uses

Configuration files
Data interchange between systems
API request and response payloads
Logs and data exports

How to edit .ini files

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

How to create .ini files

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

Example

[server]
host = example.com
port = 8080

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .ini files?

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

How do I create a .ini file?

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

What is the relationship between .ini and the text/plain MIME type?

text/plain is the media type identifier used for .ini files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-09-13

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