Org File Format (.org)

An ORG file holds Org mode markup, Carsten Dominik's 2003 outlining format for Emacs where headings can double as a to-do list, an agenda entry and, through Org Babel, an executable code block, none of which survive being read as plain markup elsewhere.

.orgDocuments

Org at a glance#

Full name	Emacs Org mode
File extension	.org
Category	Documents
Developer	Carsten Dominik
First released	2003
Compression	Uncompressed
Specification	Org Syntax
FileFlip support	FileFlip reads and writes this format

What a .org file can hold#

These are the things a Org file either supports or does not, and they are what decides whether a conversion keeps everything or quietly drops something.

Selectable text	Yes
Human readable	Yes
Comments	Yes

Strengths and limitations of Org#

What Org does well

TODO keywords, priorities and scheduling turn a heading into a task the built-in agenda can pull into a daily view
Org Babel executes code blocks in dozens of languages inside the file and can insert the result back into the document
Folding and hierarchical headings make a long file navigable the way an outliner is, not just a text file with headings

Where Org falls short

Almost nothing outside Emacs reads Org's agenda, TODO states or Babel code blocks, so exporting to another format keeps the text and drops the functionality
The full feature set assumes Emacs; other editors show plain text with visible markup instead of Org's folded, colored view
Deep nesting and per-heading property drawers make hand-editing without Emacs' structure-editing commands error-prone

Use Org mode inside Emacs for notes that mix prose, a to-do list and code you actually want to run, not just display.

Convert Org to Markdown or another format when sharing the content outside Emacs, since the agenda, TODO states and live code execution have nowhere to go in plain markup.

How to open a .org file#

A .org file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts Org into a format your machine already opens, and it does it in the browser tab rather than on a server.

Platform	Programs that open it
Windows	Emacs
macOS	Emacs, vim (with vim-orgmode)
Linux	Emacs, vim (with vim-orgmode)
Web	FileFlip

Org questions people ask#

What is an ORG file and what opens it?

An ORG file is plain text written in Org mode, Emacs' outlining and notes format, so any text editor shows the raw markup. Reading it as intended, with folded headings, clickable links and a working agenda, means opening it in Emacs, which has Org mode built in.

What happens to Org mode's to-do lists and agenda when converting to another format?

Org's TODO keywords, scheduling and the agenda view are Emacs features layered on the heading structure, not separate data the file carries independently. Converting an Org file to Markdown or another format keeps the heading text but drops the TODO state, deadlines and agenda integration, since the target format has no equivalent concept.

Can Org files run code?

Yes. Org Babel lets a code block inside an Org file be executed directly in Emacs, in dozens of supported languages, with the output inserted back into the document next to the source. This literate-programming behavior is specific to Org mode and does not carry over when the file is exported or converted.

Converting Org files#

Every conversion runs inside your browser. The file is read from your disk, the work happens on your own machine, and nothing is uploaded. How FileFlip works names the engine behind each family and how to verify that for yourself.