VimWiki File Format (.wiki)

A file with VimWiki's default .wiki extension holds a page in VimWiki's markup, the syntax the VimWiki plugin uses to turn a folder of plain-text files into a personal wiki inside Vim.

.wikiDocuments

VimWiki at a glance#

Full name	VimWiki markup
File extension	.wiki
Category	Documents
Developer	Maxim Kim
First released	2008
Compression	Uncompressed
FileFlip support	FileFlip reads this format but does not write it

What a .wiki file can hold#

These are the things a VimWiki 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

Strengths and limitations of VimWiki#

What VimWiki does well

Turns a plain folder of text files into a linked wiki using nothing but the Vim plugin, with no server or database
Syntax stays close to Markdown and MediaWiki, so it's quick to pick up for anyone who knows either
Built-in to-do lists, diary pages, and HTML export come with the plugin itself

Where VimWiki falls short

Only really parsed correctly by the VimWiki plugin, so opening it elsewhere shows plain text with the markup characters still visible
Pandoc and other converters can read VimWiki markup but none of the mainstream ones write it, so the format flows out of Vim more than into it
VimWiki ships three syntax dialects, native, Markdown, and MediaWiki, so a .wiki file's actual syntax depends on how its author configured the plugin, not just the extension

Keep notes as VimWiki while they're actively edited inside Vim, where the plugin provides links, checkboxes, and folding for free.

Convert VimWiki files to another format to share notes with someone who doesn't use Vim, or to publish them somewhere VimWiki's own HTML export doesn't reach.

How to open a .wiki file#

A .wiki file opens in the programs below, grouped by the platform you are on. If you would rather not install anything, FileFlip converts VimWiki 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	Vim (with the VimWiki plugin), Neovim (with the VimWiki plugin)
macOS	Vim (with the VimWiki plugin), Neovim (with the VimWiki plugin)
Linux	Vim (with the VimWiki plugin), Neovim (with the VimWiki plugin)
Web	FileFlip

VimWiki questions people ask#

What program opens a .wiki file from VimWiki?

A VimWiki .wiki file is plain text, so any text editor displays it, but the VimWiki plugin for Vim or Neovim is what turns it into a linked, navigable wiki page with folding and to-do checkboxes. Without the plugin, it just looks like text with visible markup characters.

Do I need Vim to read a VimWiki file?

No, since a VimWiki file is plain text underneath, but reading it comfortably without Vim usually means converting it to a format like Markdown or HTML first. Vim with the VimWiki plugin is what's needed to edit and navigate it as an actual wiki.

Why does my .wiki file look like Markdown instead of VimWiki syntax?

VimWiki supports three syntax dialects: its own native syntax, Markdown, and MediaWiki, chosen in the plugin's configuration rather than by the file extension. A .wiki file set to the Markdown dialect is written in Markdown syntax even though it keeps the .wiki extension.

Converting VimWiki files#

FileFlip does not write .wiki files, so nothing on the site converts into this format. It works as a source only.

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.