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

Quick facts

Extension.xls

File typeExcel Spreadsheet

MIME typeapplication/vnd.ms-excel

CategoryDocument

Charset—

CompressibleNo

Format familyxls

What is .xls

What is a .xls file?

A .xls file is a Excel Spreadsheet — Legacy Microsoft Excel binary spreadsheet format.

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

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

How to open .xls files

Use Microsoft Excel or LibreOffice to open and edit .xls 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.ms-excel

Common software that reads/writes .xls:

Microsoft ExcelLibreOfficeGoogle Sheets

Relation chain

.xlsextension of

format

xlsserved as

mime type

application/vnd.ms-excelsent via header

http header

Related extensions

Related MIME types

application/vnd.ms-excel

.xls .xlm .xla

Common uses

Reports and letters
Spreadsheets and budgets
Presentations
Ebooks

How to edit .xls files

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

How to create .xls files

Create a new file and save it with the .xls extension, or export this format from Microsoft Excel.

Frequently asked questions

What programs can open .xls files?

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

How do I create a .xls file?

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

What is the relationship between .xls and the application/vnd.ms-excel MIME type?

application/vnd.ms-excel is the media type identifier used for .xls files during network transfer (for example in the HTTP Content-Type header).

Sources & standards

Updated 2026-09-13

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