What is the NOTEBOOK file format?
The .notebook file format is native to SMART Notebook, a software application developed by SMART Technologies for creating interactive digital lesson materials for teachers. A .notebook file is a lesson document that stores content such as diagrams, images, notes, text annotations, shapes, and audio or video data - all organized across whiteboard pages designed for use with SMART Board interactive displays.
Note that .notebook files are not related to Jupyter Notebook (.ipynb) or any programming environment, despite sharing the extension name. They are dedicated classroom lesson containers.
Technical structure. Under the hood, a .notebook file is a ZIP archive (it begins with the standard PK magic bytes 50 4B 03 04 at offset 0). The archive holds an XML page tree, per-page SVG vector data describing drawn objects and shapes, and embedded media assets such as images, audio, and video clips. You can rename a .notebook file to .zip to inspect its raw contents, but the lesson layout only renders correctly inside SMART Notebook or a compatible application.
SMART Notebook allows users to create dynamic lecture materials, save them as .notebook files, and share them with teachers and students across classrooms.
Successor to older formats. The .notebook format replaces the older .xbk and .nbk formats, which offered limited functionality. Legacy .xbk and .nbk files can be converted into the newer .notebook format. SMART Learning Suite Online extends collaboration further with cloud-based workspaces, though .notebook remains the standard desktop lesson format.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA .notebook is a ZIP-based document of lesson content; it does not execute code on your system. Standard archive caution applies if it comes from an untrusted source (a ZIP could in theory be malformed), but lesson files themselves are benign teaching material. There is no legitimate reason a .notebook would need elevated permissions - be wary of any download claiming to be a 'SMART Notebook viewer' from a non-SMART site, which may be adware.
Format details
in a nutshell- Jupyter Notebook (.ipynb) - Unrelated data-science notebooks use the .ipynb extension (JSON), not .notebook - sometimes confused by name.
- Apple Notebook / generic note apps - Various note-taking apps have used 'notebook' branding, but the dominant .notebook file is SMART Technologies' whiteboard lesson.
Programs that open NOTEBOOK files
Windows3 apps
SMART Notebook
Freemium Install SMART Notebook (basic tier is free after sign-in) and open the .notebook to view/present/edit. 
SMART Learning Suite Online
Freemium Sign in at suite.smarttech.com and upload the .notebook to open it in the browser - no install needed.
MimioStudio (Boxlight)
Freemium Import the SMART lesson into MimioStudio; conversion fidelity varies for complex interactive objects. 
macOS2 apps
SMART Learning Suite Online
Freemium Upload to the browser-based suite to open on a Mac without installing software.
SMART Learning Suite Online (browser)
Freemium Open the suite in a mobile browser and upload the lesson to view it.
SMART Learning Suite Online
Freemium Cloud viewer/editor for .notebook lessons - the easiest cross-platform way to open one. Technical details
deep spec| Developer | SMART Technologies |
| MIME type | application/x-smarttech-notebook |
| Alternative MIME | application/zip (served generically) |
| Container format | ZIP archive |
| Compression | DEFLATE per ZIP entry |
| Magic bytes | 50 4B 03 04 - ZIP "PK" signature at offset 0 |
| Internal structure | XML page tree, per-page SVG vector data, embedded images, audio and video assets |
| Typical file size | 100 KB - 100 MB, growing with embedded media |
| Integrity check | CRC-32 per ZIP entry |
| Supported platforms | Windows, macOS, legacy Linux; Web via SMART Learning Suite Online |
| Format versioning | Version number recorded in internal XML; newer SMART Notebook opens older files; older versions may not open files from newer versions |
| Predecessor formats | .xbk and .nbk - older SMART Board lesson formats with limited functionality |
| Inspection method | Rename to .zip to browse raw XML, SVG and media assets without the application |
| Released | 2000s (SMART Notebook software for SMART Board interactive whiteboards) |
| Latest version | SMART Notebook 24 (2024); .notebook used across SMART Notebook 10+ generations |
| Specification | www.smarttech.com |
NOTEBOOK conversions
Community Q&A
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