.ics VCS/ICS calendar
Text & source code
| MIME type | text/calendar |
|---|---|
| Description | VCS/ICS calendar |
| Acronym | VCS/ICS – vCalendar/iCalendar |
| Category | Text & source code |
| Signature (magic bytes) | 42 45 47 49 4E 3A 56 43 41 4C 45 4E 44 41 52 (BEGIN:VCALENDAR)62 65 67 69 6E 3A 76 63 61 6C 65 6E 64 61 72 (begin:vcalendar) |
| Based on | text/plain |
| Other extensions | .vcs |
Frequently asked questions
What is a .ics file?
A .ics file is a “VCS/ICS calendar” (MIME type text/calendar). VCS/ICS stands for vCalendar/iCalendar.
How do I open a .ics file?
With any text editor – Notepad++, Visual Studio Code, or gedit and vim on Linux. The file contains readable text, possibly source code or configuration.
How can you tell a genuine .ics file?
By the bytes at the start of the file, the signature (magic bytes): 42 45 47 49 4E 3A 56 43 41 4C 45 4E 44 41 52 (BEGIN:VCALENDAR) and 62 65 67 69 6E 3A 76 63 61 6C 65 6E 64 61 72 (begin:vcalendar). On Linux and macOS, file --mime-type example.ics checks the real type regardless of the extension.
Which format is .ics based on?
Technically a .ics file is a subtype of “Plain text document” (text/plain), so programs for that base format can often read it too.
Which MIME type belongs to .ics?
The MIME type is text/calendar. In the Apache web server: AddType text/calendar .ics; in nginx: types { text/calendar ics; }.