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

Quick facts

Extension.sh

File typeShell Script

MIME typeapplication/x-sh

CategoryData & Text

Charset—

CompressibleYes

Format familyshell

What is .sh

What is a .sh file?

A .sh file is a Shell Script — POSIX shell script.

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

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

How to open .sh files

Use Terminal or VS Code to open and edit .sh 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-sh

Common software that reads/writes .sh:

TerminalVS Codebash

Relation chain

.shextension of

format

shellserved as

mime type

application/x-shsent via header

http header

Related extensions

Related MIME types

Related programming languages

Shell

.sh .bash .bats

Common uses

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

How to edit .sh files

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

How to create .sh files

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

Example

#!/bin/sh
echo "Hello, World!"

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .sh files?

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

How do I create a .sh file?

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

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

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

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-09-13

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