Apache Parquet File Signature: 50 41 52 31 (Magic Number)

A Parquet file is bracketed by the four bytes PAR1 (50 41 52 31): the same marker opens the file and closes it, so a reader can find the footer by seeking to the last four bytes.

What this magic number means

A magic number is a short, fixed run of bytes at a known position that tells a program what a file really is, no matter what the filename says. If a file starts with the bytes 50 41 52 31 (the text PAR1), it is a Apache Parquet file.

End-of-file marker

This format is identified by a trailer, not a header. The bytes 50 41 52 31 appear near the end of the file (PAR1 also closes the file).

Formats that use the 50 41 52 31 signature

These file types in our database carry this signature:

How to check a file's signature

You can read the first bytes of any file yourself. The magic bytes are shown in hex, the same way this page lists them.

Linux & macOS

xxd -l 16 example.parquet
hexdump -C -n 16 example.parquet
file example.parquet

Windows (PowerShell)

Format-Hex -Path example.parquet -Count 16

Python

open("example.parquet","rb").read(4).hex()

In your browser

Drop the file into the WhatFileType identifier, which reads the signature without uploading it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Apache Parquet file signature?

Apache Parquet files start with the hex bytes 50 41 52 31 (PAR1 in ASCII). This magic number identifies the format regardless of the file's name or extension.

How do I check a file's magic number?

Open the file in a hex editor, or run a command such as xxd -l 16 example.parquet on Linux or macOS, or Format-Hex -Path example.parquet -Count 16 in Windows PowerShell, and read the first bytes.

Can a file fake the Apache Parquet signature?

Renaming a file does not change its bytes, so the extension can lie but the signature usually cannot. A genuine Apache Parquet file has these exact bytes; a file with the wrong bytes is not really Apache Parquet, whatever its name says.

Apache Parquet file signature