BIBTEX (.bibtex)
.bibtex file signature | application/x-bibtex-text-file
BibTeX is a plain-text bibliography database format created by Oren Patashnik for use with TeX and LaTeX, and it is maintained within the broader TeX community. It is used to store citation records for academic writing, reference managers, and publication workflows, especially when generating bibliographies from LaTeX documents. The format is simple and generally safe, though malformed entries can disrupt bibliography generation; it is now largely a standard rather than a legacy format.
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
25 20 42 69 62 54 65 58 20 60
Sources: Apache Tika
All Known Signatures
5 signature variants are documented for .bibtex files across multiple sources.
| Hex Signature | Offset | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 25 20 42 69 62 54 65 58 20 60 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 25 25 25 20 20 | 73 | Apache Tika |
| 25 20 42 69 62 54 65 58 20 73 74 61 6E 64 61 72 64 20 62 69 62 6C 69 6F 67 72 61 70 68 79 20 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 25 25 25 20 20 40 42 69 62 54 65 58 2D 73 74 79 6C 65 2D 66 69 6C 65 7B | 73 | Apache Tika |
| 25 | 0 | Apache Tika |
Extension
.bibtex
MIME Type
application/x-bibtex-text-file
Byte Offset
0
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .bibtex files in Python
def is_bibtex(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid BIBTEX by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x25, 0x20, 0x42, 0x69, 0x62, 0x54, 0x65, 0x58, 0x20, 0x60])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(10) == signatureHow to validate .bibtex files in Node.js
function isBIBTEX(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x25, 0x20, 0x42, 0x69, 0x62, 0x54, 0x65, 0x58, 0x20, 0x60]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 10).equals(signature);
}How to validate .bibtex files in Go
func IsBIBTEX(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x25, 0x20, 0x42, 0x69, 0x62, 0x54, 0x65, 0x58, 0x20, 0x60}
if len(data) < 10 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:10], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/bibtex
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/bibtex
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .bibtex file?
A .bibtex file is identified by the magic bytes 25 20 42 69 62 54 65 58 20 60 at byte offset 0. BibTeX is a plain-text bibliography database format created by Oren Patashnik for use with TeX and LaTeX, and it is maintained within the broader TeX community. It is used to store citation records for academic writing, reference managers, and publication workflows, especially when generating bibliographies from LaTeX documents. The format is simple and generally safe, though malformed entries can disrupt bibliography generation; it is now largely a standard rather than a legacy format.
What are the magic bytes for .bibtex files?
The magic bytes for BIBTEX files are 25 20 42 69 62 54 65 58 20 60 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .bibtex file?
To validate a .bibtex file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (25 20 42 69 62 54 65 58 20 60) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .bibtex files?
The primary MIME type for .bibtex files is application/x-bibtex-text-file.
Is it safe to open .bibtex files?
BIBTEX (.bibtex) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.