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Open Publication Structure eBook file (.epub)

.epub file signature | application/epub+zip

Open Publication Structure eBook file. (Should also include the string:mimetypeapplication/epub+zip)

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0
50 4B 03 04

Sources: Apache Tika

All Known Signatures

3 signature variants are documented for .epub files across multiple sources.

Hex Signature Offset Sources
50 4B 03 04 0 Apache Tika
50 4B 03 04 50 4B 05 06 50 4B 07 08 0 Wikipedia
50 4B 03 04 0A 00 02 00 0 Gary Kessler

Extension

.epub

MIME Type

application/epub+zip

Byte Offset

0

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .epub files in Python

Python
def is_epub(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid EPUB by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x50, 0x4B, 0x03, 0x04])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(4) == signature

How to validate .epub files in Node.js

Node.js
function isEPUB(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x50, 0x4B, 0x03, 0x04]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 4).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .epub files in Go

Go
func IsEPUB(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x50, 0x4B, 0x03, 0x04}
    if len(data) < 4 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:4], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/epub
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/epub

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .epub file?

A .epub file is a Open Publication Structure eBook file file. Open Publication Structure eBook file. (Should also include the string:mimetypeapplication/epub+zip)

What are the magic bytes for .epub files?

The magic bytes for Open Publication Structure eBook file files are 50 4B 03 04 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .epub file?

To validate a .epub file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (50 4B 03 04) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .epub files?

The primary MIME type for .epub files is application/epub+zip.

Is it safe to open .epub files?

Open Publication Structure eBook file (.epub) 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.