Binary property list (.plist)

.plist file signature | application/octet-stream

Binary property list (plist)(NOTE: Next two bytes are the version number, currently0x30-30, or "00")

Safe

Magic Bytes

Offset 0


              62 70 6C 69 73 74

Sources: Wikipedia, Gary Kessler

Extension

.plist

MIME Type

application/octet-stream

Byte Offset

Risk Level

Safe

Validation Code

How to validate .plist files in Python

Python

def is_plist(file_path: str) -> bool:
    """Check if file is a valid PLIST by magic bytes."""
    signature = bytes([0x62, 0x70, 0x6C, 0x69, 0x73, 0x74])
    with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
        return f.read(6) == signature

How to validate .plist files in Node.js

Node.js

function isPLIST(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
  const signature = Buffer.from([0x62, 0x70, 0x6C, 0x69, 0x73, 0x74]);
  return buffer.subarray(0, 6).equals(signature);
}

How to validate .plist files in Go

func IsPLIST(data []byte) bool {
    signature := []byte{0x62, 0x70, 0x6C, 0x69, 0x73, 0x74}
    if len(data) < 6 {
        return false
    }
    return bytes.Equal(data[:6], signature)
}

API Endpoint

GET /api/v1/plist


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

See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a .plist file?

A .plist file is a Binary property list file. Binary property list (plist)(NOTE: Next two bytes are the version number, currently0x30-30, or "00")

What are the magic bytes for .plist files?

The magic bytes for Binary property list files are 62 70 6C 69 73 74 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.

How do I validate a .plist file?

To validate a .plist file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (62 70 6C 69 73 74) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.

What is the MIME type for .plist files?

There is no officially registered MIME type for .plist files. Systems typically use application/octet-stream as a generic fallback when handling this format.

Is it safe to open .plist files?

Binary property list (.plist) 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.