.xls Excel spreadsheet
Documents & office
| MIME type | application/vnd.ms-excel |
|---|---|
| Description | Excel spreadsheet |
| Category | Documents & office |
| Based on | application/x-ole-storage |
| Other extensions | .xla, .xlc, .xld, .xll, .xlm, .xlt, .xlw |
Frequently asked questions
What is a .xls file?
A .xls file is a “Excel spreadsheet” (MIME type application/vnd.ms-excel).
How do I open a .xls file?
With an office suite: LibreOffice (free, Windows/macOS/Linux) opens most document formats, as do Microsoft Office or the vendor’s own app.
How can you tell a genuine .xls file?
No fixed signature at the start of the file is registered for this format; it is recognised mainly by its extension. On Linux and macOS, file --mime-type example.xls shows the guessed type.
Which format is .xls based on?
Technically a .xls file is a subtype of “OLE2 compound document storage” (application/x-ole-storage), so programs for that base format can often read it too.
Which MIME type belongs to .xls?
The MIME type is application/vnd.ms-excel. In the Apache web server: AddType application/vnd.ms-excel .xls; in nginx: types { application/vnd.ms-excel xls; }.