What is the WEBARCHIVE file format?
Files with the .webarchive extension are single-file snapshots of web pages that bundle HTML source, images, CSS stylesheets, and JavaScript together - unlike a standard .html file, a .webarchive stores all referenced data inside it rather than pointing to external resources. .webarchive files are created when saving a complete copy of a web page using the Safari browser. Apple introduced the format in 2005 with Safari 2.0 on Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger.
Internally, each .webarchive is an Apple binary property list with the magic signature bplist00 at byte offset 0. The archive stores each embedded resource - images, scripts, stylesheets - as a keyed data blob alongside its original URL and MIME type. Some archives saved as XML plists (starting with <?xml) are equally valid; the two variants are structurally equivalent but encoded differently.
Offline browsing
Because a .webarchive stores the complete page content, it is possible to browse it offline without an internet connection. On macOS, Safari opens .webarchive files natively and Finder's Quick Look can preview them. On iOS, the Safari and Files apps also support the format.
Compatibility with other browsers
.webarchive is an Apple-proprietary format with no native support in Chrome, Firefox, or Edge, and no built-in viewer on Windows. Using tools such as *WebArchive Extractor* or online converters, .webarchive files can be displayed in other browsers or exported to MHTML, although this is not possible in every case - it depends on the specific content of a given website and the unique elements used in its creation.
Security & safety
RISK: MEDIUMA .webarchive embeds whatever the original page contained, including JavaScript, which runs when the archive is opened in Safari/WebKit. Researchers showed .webarchive files can be abused: a maliciously crafted archive can run script in a local context, so Apple flags them and Safari warns before opening downloaded archives. Treat a .webarchive from an untrusted source like any untrusted web page - do not open unexpected ones, and prefer converting to PDF/HTML (which strips active script) for safe viewing.
Format details
in a nutshellPrograms that open WEBARCHIVE files
Windows1 app
No native viewer (use conversion)
Free Windows has no app that opens .webarchive directly (Safari for Windows is discontinued). Convert it to PDF/HTML with an online tool or on a Mac, or extract resources with a plist tool. 
macOS2 apps
Safari
Built-in Double-click the .webarchive; it opens as a page in Safari. Use File > Export as PDF to make it portable.
Quick Look / Finder
Built-in Select the file and press Space to preview the saved page without opening Safari.
Online webarchive-to-PDF / -HTML converters
Freemium Upload the .webarchive to a converter (e.g. CloudConvert) to get a PDF or HTML you can open anywhere. Avoid sites with confidential content. Technical details
deep spec| Developer | Apple Inc. |
| Format type | Binary property list (bplist) container bundling a complete web page snapshot with all its subresources |
| Container encoding | Apple binary plist (magic: bplist00) or XML plist; both variants are valid .webarchive files |
| Magic bytes (binary variant) | 62 70 6C 69 73 74 30 30 ("bplist00") at byte offset 0 |
| MIME type | application/x-webarchive |
| Top-level plist keys | WebMainResource, WebSubresources, WebSubframeArchives |
| Subresource storage | Each embedded asset stored with its original URL (WebResourceURL), MIME type (WebResourceMIMEType), and raw data (WebResourceData) |
| Native platform support | macOS (Safari, Finder Quick Look), iOS (Safari, Files app) |
| Windows support | No native viewer; requires third-party tools (e.g. WebArchive Extractor) or online converters |
| iframe handling | Nested iframe content stored recursively in WebSubframeArchives keys |
| Equivalent formats | .mht / .mhtml (MIME HTML, the Internet Explorer/Edge equivalent), .maff (Mozilla Archive Format, discontinued) |
| File size | Larger than the raw HTML alone; all subresources (images, fonts, scripts, CSS) are fully embedded |
| JavaScript restriction | Inline scripts may be blocked when opening a local .webarchive in Safari due to same-origin security policy |
| Proprietary status | Apple-proprietary; no public specification; not natively supported by Chrome, Firefox, or Edge |
| Binary vs XML plist encoding | Binary variant stores resource data as raw bytes; XML variant encodes each resource blob as Base64 |
| Released | 2005 (Safari 2.0 / Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger) |
| Specification | en.wikipedia.org |
WEBARCHIVE conversions
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