WOFF2 file format: what it is and how to use it

WOFF2 is the current web font standard: Brotli-compressed fonts ~30% smaller than WOFF, the format modern websites should serve first. Learn when to use it and what to choose instead.

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What is a WOFF2 file?

A .woff2 file is a font in WOFF2, the 2016 W3C upgrade to WOFF that swaps zlib for Brotli compression plus a transform step designed for font data: roughly 30% smaller files for the same typeface. It is what every modern browser loads when your @font-face offers both, the current front-line format for web typography.

When should you use WOFF2?

  • Primary webfont delivery: the first format in every modern @font-face stack.
  • Bandwidth-critical sites: the smallest font files browsers will load.
  • Variable fonts: the standard delivery vehicle for modern font technology.

When is another format a better fit?

Pair it with a WOFF fallback for ancient browsers. For desktop installs TTF/OTF, since .woff2 is a delivery format, not an install format. And if you control the pipeline, subset the font before wrapping, because the charset matters more than the container.

The short version: WOFF2 is the web font to serve first: smallest, current, supported by every browser that matters.

How to open a WOFF2 file

On Windows

Double-click the file, or open it with FontForge.

In your browser

Open WOFF2 files right in a browser tab or with the dexrr viewer. No install, no upload.

Also opens in

  • Any web browser
  • FontForge
  • Font tools (woff2_decompress)

View or convert WOFF2 files

A quick preview or a new format. No install, no upload.

View WOFF2 files Preview and inspect WOFF2 files Convert to WOFF2 Turn files into WOFF2 WOFF2 to WOFF Web Open Font Format WOFF2 to TTF TrueType font WOFF2 to OTF OpenType font

WOFF2 technical details

Full name
Web Open Font Format 2
Extensions
.woff2
MIME type
font/woff2
Magic bytes
77 4F 46 32 (wOF2)
Compression
Lossless
Developer
W3C
Specification
www.w3.org

WOFF2 questions, answered

How do I open a .woff2 file?

Browsers load it via @font-face; font tools unwrap it to ttf/otf for inspection. dexrr displays and converts woff2 files directly in your browser.

Can I convert WOFF2 files online?

Yes, dexrr converts woff2 locally in your browser: WOFF2 to TTF or WOFF2 to OTF for desktop use.

Is WOFF2 better than WOFF?

Yes, ~30% smaller via Brotli with identical font data. Serve WOFF2 first, WOFF only as fallback for ancient browsers.

Can I install a .woff2 font?

Not directly, it is a web delivery format. Convert to TTF or OTF first to install it on your system.

Is the WOFF2 format outdated?

No, it is the current standard for web font delivery, supported by every modern browser.