Windows Visual Stylesheet XML file (.manifest)

.manifest file signature | application/xml

A manifest file is an XML-based Windows visual stylesheet format developed and maintained by Microsoft for defining application and theme resources. It is used by Windows applications and themes to specify visual styles, control rendering behavior, and support interface customization. The format is generally safe, though as an XML document it can be edited or altered manually; older visual style implementations are tied to specific Windows versions and compatibility settings.

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0


              3C 3F 78 6D 6C 20 76 65 72 73 69 6F 6E 3D

Sources: Gary Kessler

Extension

.manifest

MIME Type

application/xml

Byte Offset

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .manifest files in Python

Python

def is_manifest(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid MANIFEST by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x3C, 0x3F, 0x78, 0x6D, 0x6C, 0x20, 0x76, 0x65, 0x72, 0x73, 0x69, 0x6F, 0x6E, 0x3D])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(14) == signature

How to validate .manifest files in Node.js

Node.js

function isMANIFEST(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x3C, 0x3F, 0x78, 0x6D, 0x6C, 0x20, 0x76, 0x65, 0x72, 0x73, 0x69, 0x6F, 0x6E, 0x3D]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 14).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .manifest files in Go

func IsMANIFEST(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x3C, 0x3F, 0x78, 0x6D, 0x6C, 0x20, 0x76, 0x65, 0x72, 0x73, 0x69, 0x6F, 0x6E, 0x3D}
    if len(data) < 14 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:14], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/manifest


              curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/manifest

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Related Formats

.xml .xul .msc .other .xsd .xsl

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .manifest file?

A .manifest file is a Windows Visual Stylesheet XML file file. A manifest file is an XML-based Windows visual stylesheet format developed and maintained by Microsoft for defining application and theme resources. It is used by Windows applications and themes to specify visual styles, control rendering behavior, and support interface customization. The format is generally safe, though as an XML document it can be edited or altered manually; older visual style implementations are tied to specific Windows versions and compatibility settings.

What are the magic bytes for .manifest files?

The magic bytes for Windows Visual Stylesheet XML file files are 3C 3F 78 6D 6C 20 76 65 72 73 69 6F 6E 3D at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .manifest file?

To validate a .manifest file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (3C 3F 78 6D 6C 20 76 65 72 73 69 6F 6E 3D) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .manifest files?

The primary MIME type for .manifest files is application/xml.

Is it safe to open .manifest files?

Windows Visual Stylesheet XML file (.manifest) 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.