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PARQUET (.parquet)

.parquet file signature | application/x-parquet

Apache Parquet is an open-source columnar data file format developed within the Apache Hadoop ecosystem and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation community. It is used for efficient storage and retrieval of structured data in analytics pipelines, data lakes, and distributed processing systems such as Apache Spark, Hive, and Impala. The format is generally safe, though files from untrusted sources should still be handled carefully because malformed data can affect parsers or downstream tools.

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0
50 41 52 31

Sources: Apache Tika

Extension

.parquet

MIME Type

application/x-parquet

Byte Offset

0

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .parquet files in Python

Python 
def is_parquet(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid PARQUET by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x50, 0x41, 0x52, 0x31])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(4) == signature

How to validate .parquet files in Node.js

Node.js 
function isPARQUET(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x50, 0x41, 0x52, 0x31]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 4).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .parquet files in Go

Go 
func IsPARQUET(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x50, 0x41, 0x52, 0x31}
    if len(data) < 4 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:4], signature)
}

API Endpoint

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

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .parquet file?

A .parquet file is identified by the magic bytes 50 41 52 31 at byte offset 0. Apache Parquet is an open-source columnar data file format developed within the Apache Hadoop ecosystem and maintained by the Apache Software Foundation community. It is used for efficient storage and retrieval of structured data in analytics pipelines, data lakes, and distributed processing systems such as Apache Spark, Hive, and Impala. The format is generally safe, though files from untrusted sources should still be handled carefully because malformed data can affect parsers or downstream tools.

What are the magic bytes for .parquet files?

The magic bytes for PARQUET files are 50 41 52 31 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .parquet file?

To validate a .parquet file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (50 41 52 31) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .parquet files?

The primary MIME type for .parquet files is application/x-parquet.

Is it safe to open .parquet files?

PARQUET (.parquet) 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.