What is the ENEX file format?
.enex files contain notes exported from Evernote, a note-taking application now owned by Bending Spoons (acquired 2023). This application allows for the convenient creation of even complex annotations on any subject. .enex files store blocks of text as well as binary objects and images - all attachments (PDFs, audio, images) are base64-encoded and embedded directly within the XML, making each .enex file fully self-contained.
What are .enex files used for? Exporting notes to .enex files is the primary method for creating portable backups and migrating notes between applications. Because all content - text, tags, creation dates, and attachments - is contained within the XML document, the file can be archived to a local drive, sent by email, or imported into a third-party tool without any additional data. Applications including Joplin, Obsidian (with the Importer plugin), and Notion support .enex import, making it the standard migration path away from Evernote.
Can you create .enex files? Evernote also allows for the manual export of all or selected notes to .enex files. This function is used, for instance, when archiving part or all of the notes, which can then be compressed and placed in the cloud or on a portable drive. The content is saved using the XML markup language - specifically ENML (Evernote Markup Language), a restricted XHTML subset - and can be re-imported on any device with Evernote installed without loss of tags, timestamps, or attachments.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWENEX is a plain XML file with note content. Attachments are base64-encoded data, not executables. An ENEX file cannot execute code. However, imported note content (especially from unknown sources) could contain web links or macros if imported into a rich editor. Very low risk; standard caution applies when opening notes received from untrusted sources.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open ENEX files
Windows5 apps
Evernote
Freemium File > Import Notes - select the .enex file to import notes back into Evernote. Notes appear in a new notebook. 
NOTION
Freemium Settings > Import > Evernote - uploads .enex files; most text and images transfer well.
Joplin
Open-source File > Import > ENEX (as Markdown) or ENEX (as HTML) - best third-party importer; preserves notebooks, tags, attachments, dates.
Obsidian (with Importer plugin)
Free Install the Obsidian Importer community plugin, select Evernote, choose your .enex file(s). Converts notes to Markdown in your vault.
Notepad++ / VS Code (text editors)
Open-source Open .enex as XML to read raw note content or extract attachment base64 data. 
macOS3 apps
Apple Notes
Built-in File > Import to Notes - macOS Ventura (2022) and later can import ENEX files directly into Apple Notes. 
Linux1 app
Technical details
deep spec| File type | XML-based note export archive (UTF-8 plain text) |
| Container | Standard XML document with DOCTYPE referencing the Evernote export DTD |
| XML root element | <en-export> with export-date, application, and version attributes; contains one or more <note> elements |
| Note content format | ENML (Evernote Markup Language) - a restricted XHTML subset with a defined allowlist of permitted tags |
| Attachment handling | Attachments (images, PDFs, audio) base64-encoded inside <resource><data> elements; no separate file needed |
| Attachment integrity | MD5 hash stored in the <data> hash attribute for each embedded resource |
| Typical file size | 10 KB - 500 MB+ (single-note exports are small; large notebooks with many attachments can reach multi-GB) |
| Compression | None (raw XML; base64 encoding of attachments makes large ENEX files very verbose) |
| Format versions | v3 (evernote-export3.dtd, Evernote 6.x/7.x legacy); v4 (evernote-export4.dtd, Evernote 10+) |
| Note-level encryption | Individual note content may be encrypted with Evernote's built-in note encryption; the .enex file itself is unencrypted |
| Round-trip fidelity | Full - tags, creation dates, attachments, and note attributes survive export and re-import without loss |
| Developer | Evernote Corporation (acquired by Bending Spoons, 2023); format active as of 2026 |
| Released | circa 2008 (Evernote 1.0 era) |
| Latest version | Export format v4 (Evernote 10+, 2020s); v3 used by Evernote 6.x/7.x legacy |
| Specification | evernote.com |
ENEX conversions
Community Q&A
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