Google Earth Keyhole Placemark file (.eta)
.eta file signature | application/octet-stream
The Google Earth Keyhole Placemark file is a text-based placemark format for Google Earth, originally introduced by Keyhole, Inc. and later maintained by Google. It is used to store points, labels, paths, and geographic annotations for Earth browsers, GIS tools, and mapping workflows. Because it is plain text, it is generally safe to open, though untrusted files may reference external resources or contain malformed markup; the format is now largely historical, with KML superseding many earlier Keyhole placemark uses.
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
23 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 61 6E 20 4B 65 79
Sources: Gary Kessler
All Known Signatures
2 signature variants are documented for .eta files across multiple sources.
| Hex Signature | Offset | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 23 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 61 6E 20 4B 65 79 | 0 | Gary Kessler |
| 3C 4B 65 79 68 6F 6C 65 3E | 0 | Gary Kessler |
Extension
.eta
MIME Type
application/octet-stream
Byte Offset
0
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .eta files in Python
def is_eta(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid ETA by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x23, 0x20, 0x54, 0x68, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x61, 0x6E, 0x20, 0x4B, 0x65, 0x79])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(16) == signatureHow to validate .eta files in Node.js
function isETA(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x23, 0x20, 0x54, 0x68, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x61, 0x6E, 0x20, 0x4B, 0x65, 0x79]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 16).equals(signature);
}How to validate .eta files in Go
func IsETA(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x23, 0x20, 0x54, 0x68, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x69, 0x73, 0x20, 0x61, 0x6E, 0x20, 0x4B, 0x65, 0x79}
if len(data) < 16 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:16], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/eta
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/eta
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .eta file?
A .eta file is a Google Earth Keyhole Placemark file file. The Google Earth Keyhole Placemark file is a text-based placemark format for Google Earth, originally introduced by Keyhole, Inc. and later maintained by Google. It is used to store points, labels, paths, and geographic annotations for Earth browsers, GIS tools, and mapping workflows. Because it is plain text, it is generally safe to open, though untrusted files may reference external resources or contain malformed markup; the format is now largely historical, with KML superseding many earlier Keyhole placemark uses.
What are the magic bytes for .eta files?
The magic bytes for Google Earth Keyhole Placemark file files are 23 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 61 6E 20 4B 65 79 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .eta file?
To validate a .eta file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (23 20 54 68 69 73 20 69 73 20 61 6E 20 4B 65 79) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .eta files?
There is no officially registered MIME type for .eta files. Systems typically use application/octet-stream as a generic fallback when handling this format.
Is it safe to open .eta files?
Google Earth Keyhole Placemark file (.eta) 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.