---
title: ".go file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .go file is a Go Source. Source code in Go, Google's language for servers and command-line tools. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/go/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .go files

**.go file: Go Source**

Source code in Go, Google's language for servers and command-line tools.

## What opens a .go file

- **Windows:** Visual Studio Code, GoLand, Notepad (built in)
- **macOS:** Visual Studio Code, GoLand, TextEdit (built in)
- **Linux:** Visual Studio Code, GoLand, Text Editor (built in)
- **In a browser:** Go Playground

## What a .go file is

Go was released by Google in 2009 and is built around fast compilation, simple concurrency and static binaries with no runtime dependencies. A .go file is plain text; go build turns a package into a single executable you can copy to another machine of the same platform and run. Docker, Kubernetes and much modern infrastructure are written in it.

## Converting it

A .go file is commonly converted to .exe or .txt. It is a plain text format, so any text editor can open and edit it directly.

## Details

- **Extension:** .go
- **Full name:** Go Source
- **Category:** Code and scripts
- **Created by:** Google
- **Format:** Plain text

## Common questions

### How do I open a .go file?

On Windows use Visual Studio Code; on macOS use Visual Studio Code; on Linux use Visual Studio Code. Source code in Go, Google's language for servers and command-line tools.

### What is a .go file?

Go Source. Go was released by Google in 2009 and is built around fast compilation, simple concurrency and static binaries with no runtime dependencies. A .go file is plain text; go build turns a package into a single executable you can copy to another machine of the same platform and run.

### Can I convert a .go file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .exe or .txt, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.html — HyperText Markup Language](https://atoneplace.net/file/html/)
- [.js — JavaScript Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/js/)
- [.css — Cascading Style Sheet](https://atoneplace.net/file/css/)
- [.py — Python Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/py/)
- [.java — Java Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/java/)
- [.tsx — TypeScript Source (JSX)](https://atoneplace.net/file/tsx/)
- [.cpp — C++ Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/cpp/)
- [.php — PHP Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/php/)
- [.c — C Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/c/)
- [.cs — C# Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/cs/)
- [.rs — Rust Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/rs/)
- [.rb — Ruby Source](https://atoneplace.net/file/rb/)

## Sources

- Media Types Registry — IANA (https://www.iana.org/assignments/media-types/)
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place (/about/)