Extract text from AWL files
To convert your AWL file to another format, you need Siemens STEP 7 or other Developer software.
To convert other file formats to the "PLC Programming" file type, you need software like Siemens STEP 7 or a similar tool.
The .AWL file extension primarily represents a Statement List (STL) source file used by Siemens SIMATIC STEP 7 and TIA Portal software. Derived from the German term Anweisungsliste, this format contains low-level, assembly-like instructions for programming Siemens S7-300 and S7-400 Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs).
While .AWL files are technically text-based, they are deeply entrenched in the Siemens industrial automation ecosystem. The main challenge users face is that these files are often part of a complex project structure that requires the heavy, expensive, and license-restricted SIMATIC Manager or TIA Portal to open properly with syntax highlighting and context. Engineers and maintenance technicians frequently need to review this logic without access to the full development environment. Additionally, a completely different (and incompatible) type of .AWL file exists as a compiled web page for PC SOFT WebDev, creating significant confusion.
For documentation, code review, or archiving purposes, the most practical workflow is to convert .AWL files to TXT (Plain Text) to view the raw code in any editor, or to PDF (Portable Document Format) to create an immutable reference document for maintenance teams.
Convert.Guru analyzes your AWL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted MWP, ARW, PDF, TXT, SDOCX, EES, TSX, RKT and SCL files.
If you want to convert AWL file to SCL, CSV, JSON, XML, YAML, YML, TOML, INI, CFG, CONF, DAT or DB, you can use Siemens STEP 7 or similar software from the "PLC Source Code" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert DBF, XML, SQLITE, XLSX, SQL, TSV, ACCDB, YAML, MDB, CSV, ODS or JSON files to AWL, try Siemens STEP 7 or another comparable tool in the "PLC Source Code" category.
The history of Convert.Guru began over 25 years ago in California with Tom Simondi’s file-format database. A former contributor to Space Shuttle development and a software pioneer of the 1980s, Simondi established a trusted resource for file type analysis that was even referenced by Microsoft Windows XP. Today, we use modern technology to process and convert thousands of file formats while continually improving our AWL converter.