What is the ORG file format?
An .org file is the proprietary binary data file used by Lotus Organizer, IBM's personal information manager application. It stores a user's entire PIM database - calendar appointments, contacts, to-do items, anniversary reminders, planner entries, and notes - all in Lotus's internal binary record format.
Lotus Organizer 1.0 launched in 1992 as one of the earliest Windows-native PIM applications, predating Microsoft Outlook. It remained a flagship Lotus productivity product through the 1990s. IBM, which acquired Lotus Development Corporation in 1995, continued development through version 6.1 before eventually discontinuing all sales around 2013.
The format is not publicly documented and has no known magic bytes. File sizes range from a few hundred kilobytes to tens of megabytes depending on data volume. Optional password protection was available within the application. Because no current software reads .org files natively, data recovery typically requires an old Lotus Organizer installation to export records to a more portable format such as CSV or ICS, or a dedicated third-party converter.
Modern replacements for Lotus Organizer's functionality - Microsoft Outlook, Google Workspace, and similar PIMs - use open standards such as VCF (vCard) and ICS (iCalendar) for data portability.
Security & safety
RISK: LOWA Lotus Organizer .org file is a passive binary database with no executable content; opening one in the original Lotus software is low risk. The real security consideration is age and provenance: .org files are 20-30 years old and likely contain sensitive personal data (contacts, appointments) - handle accordingly. If the file is password- protected, a forgotten password means the data is inaccessible (no known brute-force tool for the Lotus Organizer password scheme exists publicly).
Format details
in a nutshell- Emacs Org-mode document - GNU Emacs Org-mode uses .org for plain-text, structured note-taking and task management files - a completely unrelated plain-text format with a large active user base.
- Org-mode compatible editors (Obsidian, Logseq, etc.) - Several modern note-taking apps treat .org as Org-mode plain text, entirely distinct from Lotus Organizer.
Programs that open ORG files
Windows2 apps
Lotus Organizer 6.1 (legacy, EOL)
Paid Last release. Runs on Windows XP; compatibility mode may work on Vista/7. For Windows 10/11: install Lotus Organizer 6.1 in a Windows XP VirtualBox VM to open and export the .org data to CSV/text.
Lotus 1-2-3 (legacy, EOL)
Paid IBM Lotus 1-2-3 could access some Organizer data via IBM integration; however, Lotus 1-2-3 is also discontinued (final version 9.8, discontinued 2013). Not a recommended path for modern data recovery. Technical details
deep spec| Encoding | Binary (proprietary Lotus/IBM record format) |
| Byte order | Little-endian |
| Password protection | Optional - file-level password protection available within Lotus Organizer |
| Typical file size | 100 KB - 20 MB (depends on data volume) |
| MIME type | application/octet-stream |
| Magic bytes | None documented - proprietary binary with no published signature |
| PIM sections | Calendar/appointments, contacts/address book, to-do lists, planner, notepad, anniversaries |
| Recurring events | Supported - repeating appointments stored in the binary record structure |
| Interoperability | No documented format; no modern software reads .org files natively |
| Final supported OS | Windows Vista / 7 (Lotus Organizer 6.1 final release) |
| Data recovery | Requires legacy Lotus Organizer installation or third-party converter to export to CSV, ICS, or VCF |
| Released | 1992 (Lotus Organizer 1.0 for Windows) |
| Latest version | Lotus Organizer 6.1 (final release, c. 2002; discontinued) |
ORG conversions
Community Q&A
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