Extract text from NDL files
To convert your NDL file to another format, you need HCL Notes or other Text software.
To convert other file formats to the "Shortcut / E-Book" file type, you need software like HCL Notes or a similar tool.
The .NDL extension primarily identifies the Lotus Notes Document Link, a shortcut file used by HCL Notes (formerly IBM Lotus Notes). These small files function similarly to desktop shortcuts, containing specific Replica IDs and Note IDs that direct the Notes client to a precise document within a database. The major disadvantage is their dependency on the Notes infrastructure; without the client installed and access permissions to the specific Domino server, the file is effectively useless. Users often try to "convert" these to TXT simply to retrieve the internal link path or database ID.
Alternatively, .NDL files serve as Digital Novel eBooks for reading apps like NovelCat or NDL Reader. In this context, the file is often a renamed ZIP archive containing chapter text and images. Readers frequently face friction here due to proprietary app lock-in, preventing them from reading purchased content on Kindles or other e-readers. To bypass these restrictions, users typically convert these eBooks to standard EPUB or PDF formats for broader compatibility.
Convert.Guru analyzes your NDL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted NSF, SDOC and NCF files.
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 NDL converter.