---
title: ".woff file — what it is and how to open it"
description: "A .woff file is a Web Open Font Format. A compressed font wrapper made for downloading into web pages. How to open one on Windows, macOS and Linux, and what to convert it to."
url: https://atoneplace.net/file/woff/
site: "At One Place"
---

# .woff files

**.woff file: Web Open Font Format**

A compressed font wrapper made for downloading into web pages.

## What opens a .woff file

- **Windows:** Any web browser (via a web page), FontForge (to convert)
- **macOS:** Any web browser (via a web page), FontForge (to convert)
- **Linux:** Any web browser (via a web page), FontForge (to convert)
- **In a browser:** Wakamai Fondue, CloudConvert

## What a .woff file is

WOFF is a W3C format that wraps a TrueType or OpenType font with compression and metadata so it downloads quickly as a web font. It is not meant to be installed as a system font — Windows and macOS font installers reject it — so to use one on your desktop you convert it back to TTF or OTF first. FontForge and browser-based converters both do this.

## Converting it

A .woff file is commonly converted to .ttf, .otf or .woff2. It is a binary format, so a text editor will show unreadable characters rather than its contents.

## Details

- **Extension:** .woff
- **Full name:** Web Open Font Format
- **Category:** Fonts
- **MIME type:** font/woff
- **Created by:** W3C
- **Format:** Binary

## Common questions

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

On Windows use Any web browser (via a web page); on macOS use Any web browser (via a web page); on Linux use Any web browser (via a web page). A compressed font wrapper made for downloading into web pages.

### What is a .woff file?

Web Open Font Format. WOFF is a W3C format that wraps a TrueType or OpenType font with compression and metadata so it downloads quickly as a web font. It is not meant to be installed as a system font — Windows and macOS font installers reject it — so to use one on your desktop you convert it back to TTF or OTF first.

### Can I convert a .woff file?

Yes. It is usually converted to .ttf, .otf or .woff2, either by exporting from one of the programs listed above or with a format converter.

## Related pages

- [.ttf — TrueType Font](https://atoneplace.net/file/ttf/)
- [.otf — OpenType Font](https://atoneplace.net/file/otf/)
- [.woff2 — Web Open Font Format 2](https://atoneplace.net/file/woff2/)

## Sources

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