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

Quick facts

Extension.odt

File typeOpenDocument Text

MIME typeapplication/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text

CategoryDocument

Charset—

CompressibleNo

Format familyodt

What is .odt

What is a .odt file?

A .odt file is a OpenDocument Text — LibreOffice/OpenOffice word-processing document.

In the mime-db registry it maps to application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text, and it is marked as non-compressible. When serving .odt over HTTP, set the Content-Type header as shown in Developer info below.

Related entities: it maps to application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text — and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header.

How to open .odt files

Use LibreOffice or Microsoft Word to open and edit .odt 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/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text

Common software that reads/writes .odt:

LibreOfficeMicrosoft Word

Relation chain

.odtextension of

format

odtserved as

mime type

application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.textsent via header

http header

Related extensions

Related MIME types

application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text

.odt

Common uses

Reports and letters
Spreadsheets and budgets
Presentations
Ebooks

How to edit .odt files

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

How to create .odt files

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

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .odt files?

Common options include LibreOffice, Microsoft Word. You can also open many of these files with built-in viewers or a browser.

How do I create a .odt file?

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

What is the relationship between .odt and the application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text MIME type?

application/vnd.oasis.opendocument.text is the media type identifier used for .odt files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-09-13

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