What Is a TXT File? How to Open and Use It

A TXT file is one of the simplest file formats: it contains only plain text characters and is saved with a .txt extension. This guide explains what it is, what it’s used for, how to open and create one on different devices, how encoding works and how TXT compares with other formats.

What Is a TXT File?

A simple file format that holds only plain text characters, with no fonts, colors, images or layout. The name comes from the English word “text”.

The TXT Extension

The .txt extension tells the operating system the file is plain text, which any text editor can open.

What Is a TXT File Used For?

Taking notes.
Software development: readme files, configuration and logs.
Server logs.
Website management: files such as robots.txt and, for AI systems, llms.txt. See what is robots.txt and our robots.txt generator (Turkish interface). Also see technical SEO.
Data transfer between systems.
Text analysis. See what is text mining.
Automation: lists, commands and scripts.
Sharing information in a format that opens anywhere.

Core Features

Small file size, no formatting, opens on any device, easy for programs to read and write. See also object-oriented programming for how programs handle data.

How to Open a TXT File

On Windows

Double-click the file.
Right-click and choose “Open with”.
Open it from within Notepad.
Other programs can open it too, such as Notepad++, WordPad and Word.

On macOS

Use TextEdit or another compatible text editor.

On Android

Use a file manager or a reliable text editor app.

On iPhone

View it in the Files app; use a compatible text editor to edit.

On Linux

Use a text editor such as gedit, nano or vim.

Can a Browser Open It?

Yes. Most browsers can display a TXT file.

How to Create a TXT File

Windows: right-click the desktop or a folder, choose New → Text Document, or write in Notepad and save as .txt.
Mac: in TextEdit, choose Format → Make Plain Text, then save.
Phone: use a notes or text editor app that exports .txt.

How to Edit One

Open it in a text editor, make changes and save. Avoid word processors that add hidden formatting unless you save as plain text.

What Is Plain Text?

Text made only of characters, without styling or embedded objects.

TXT vs. Other Formats

Format	Difference from TXT
DOCX	Formatted documents with fonts, images, tables
PDF	Fixed-layout documents for sharing and printing
CSV	Plain text with comma-separated values for tables
RTF	Basic formatting (bold, italic)
HTML	Text with markup that browsers render as web pages

Encoding and UTF-8

A TXT file stores characters using an encoding. UTF-8 is the common modern standard and supports characters from nearly all languages.

Fixing Special-Character Problems

If accented or non-Latin characters (for example Turkish ç, ş, ğ, ı) appear as strange symbols, the file was probably saved or opened with a different encoding. Reopen it choosing UTF-8, or re-save it as UTF-8 in your editor.

How to Convert a TXT File

To PDF: use the Print function and choose Save as PDF, or open it in a document program and export.
To Word: open the file in Word and save as DOCX.
To other formats: import into a spreadsheet for CSV-like data or use a converter tool.

Related reading: digital transformation; for web projects, see our web design service.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a TXT file?

A simple file format that contains only plain text characters and is saved with a .txt extension.

What does TXT stand for?

It comes from the English word “text” and means a text file.

What is it for?

Storing notes, descriptions, data lists, software logs, commands, code and website settings.

How do I open one?

Double-click the file, or open it in Notepad, TextEdit or a similar text editor.

How do I open one on Windows?

Double-click it, or right-click and open with Notepad.

On a Mac?