Extract text from Extensible forms (XFDL)
To convert XFDL forms to another format, you need IBM Forms or other Data software.
To convert other file formats to the "XML Form Definition" file type, you need software like IBM Forms or a similar tool.
The .XFDL file extension stands for Extensible Forms Description Language. It is a secure, XML-based electronic form format originally developed by UWI, later acquired by PureEdge and then IBM. These files are typically used for legally binding documents, complex business workflows, and notably, US Military and government forms. You can officially open these files using IBM Forms Viewer or the legacy PureEdge Viewer.
Despite its standardized XML backend, the .XFDL format is notoriously difficult to work with today. It acts as a proprietary container that requires installing bloated, outdated enterprise software just to view a single form. The files are completely unsupported by modern web browsers, frequently leaving users frustrated when downloading mandatory government documents on standard consumer operating systems.
To bypass these limitations, you must convert your .XFDL file to a more accessible format. For printing, archiving, or sharing with non-technical users, convert it to PDF. If you need to extract the raw form values or digital signature data, convert it to standard XML.
Convert.Guru analyzes your XFDL file, detects the exact format, and lets you read the text inside.
Users also converted XFD, XFDX, PDF, INP, XLSX, CRDOWNLOAD, SEAM, XDL, HTML, XPDL, SPV, TXT and PNG files.
If you want to convert XFDL file to PDF, HTML, HTM, CSS, JS, PHP, ASP, ASPX, JSP, JSPX, PY or RB, you can use IBM Forms or similar software from the "Secure XML Form Storage" category. In the File menu, look for Save As… or Export….
To convert RSS, CSS, CGI, SITEMAP, PL, WEBMANIFEST, JSON, JS, XML, HTML, ICO or HTM files to XFDL, try IBM Forms or another comparable tool in the "Secure XML Form Storage" 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 XFDL converter.