Privacy Policy
Plain language, no legalese we would not want to read ourselves.
The short version
WhatFileType is a free file format reference and lookup tool. The file identifier on the homepage works entirely in your browser, we never see the files you drop into it. Like most websites, this site may show ads and use cookies to run them and to understand how the site is used. This page explains what that means.
What happens in your browser stays there
The file identifier reads only the first few kilobytes of a file locally, using your browser's built-in file reading tools, to match it against known signatures. The file itself is never uploaded, transmitted or stored anywhere. This is true regardless of whether ads are showing on the page.
Cookies and similar technology
This site may use cookies or similar local storage to remember your theme preference (light or dark), and, where advertising or analytics are active, to support those services. A cookie is a small piece of data a website can ask your browser to store, it does not let anyone read files on your device or identify you personally on its own.
Third-party advertising
WhatFileType may show ads served by third-party advertising networks such as Google AdSense or Ezoic. When ads are active, these partners can set their own cookies or use similar technology to serve ads and measure how they perform, and some may use the data available to them to personalise the ads you see, in line with their own privacy policies. If you are visiting from the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, a consent banner asks for your permission before any personalised ads or related cookies are used, and you can decline or change that choice at any time.
Analytics
We may use analytics to understand which pages are useful, for example aggregate page views and referral sources. Analytics does not give us access to the contents of any file you look up, that check always happens locally in your browser.
The contact form
If you use the contact form, we receive the name, email address and message you choose to submit, solely to reply to you. We do not publish an email address anywhere on this site, the form is the only way to reach us.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct or delete data associated with you, or to object to certain processing, for example under the GDPR in the EEA and UK. To make a request, use the contact form.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the site changes, for example when an advertising or analytics provider changes. The version on this page is always the current one.
Questions
Reach us any time through the contact page.