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

Quick facts

Extension.txt

File typePlain Text File

MIME typetext/plain

CategoryData & Text

Charset—

CompressibleYes

Format familytext

What is .txt

What is a .txt file?

A .txt file is a Plain Text File — Unformatted text file readable by any text editor.

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

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

How to open .txt files

Use Notepad or VS Code to open and edit .txt 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 .txt:

NotepadVS CodeTextEdit

Relation chain

.txtextension of

format

textserved as

mime type

text/plainsent via header

http header

Related extensions

Related MIME types

Related programming languages

Common uses

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

How to edit .txt 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 .txt files

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

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .txt files?

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

How do I create a .txt file?

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

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

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

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-09-13

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