What is a WOFF2 file?
WOFF2 stands for Web Open Font Format 2. It was created by the World Wide Web Consortium and first released in 2014. WOFF2 compresses a font with Brotli and restructures its glyph data first, so it usually comes out around 30 percent smaller than WOFF. Every current browser supports it, which makes it the format to serve on the web today.
| Type | font |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless |
| In a browser | loads in every current browser through CSS; cannot be installed on a computer |
| Common uses | fonts served by modern websites |
| MIME type | font/woff2 |
Which format should you convert WOFF2 to?
- WOFF2 to WOFF to use the font on a website.
- WOFF2 to TTF to install the font on a computer.
- WOFF2 to OTF to install the font and use it in design software.
How to open a WOFF2 file
Whether a WOFF2 file opens with a double click depends on the device. Here is what works on each, without buying software:
| Windows | Double-click a TTF or OTF to preview and install it. WOFF files are for websites and do not install. |
|---|---|
| Mac | Double-click a TTF or OTF to open Font Book and install it. |
| iPhone and iPad | Fonts install through apps or configuration profiles; the Files app can preview some. |
| Android | Most phones cannot install system fonts; apps with custom font options can use the file. |
| Web browser | WOFF2 loads in every current browser through CSS; cannot be installed on a computer. |
Want the technical details? See what a .woff2 file is, with its MIME type, file signature and a viewer.
WOFF2 compared with other font formats
How WOFF2 stacks up against the formats people most often convert it to or from:
| Format | Compression | Usually contains | Released | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WOFF2 | Lossless | the tables of a TrueType or OpenType font, compressed with Brotli | 2014 | fonts served by modern websites |
| TTF | Lossless | glyph outlines drawn with quadratic curves | 1991 | installing fonts on a computer and embedding them in documents |
| OTF | Lossless | glyph outlines, usually cubic PostScript curves, plus typographic features | 1996 | professional typography, ligatures and design work |
| WOFF | Lossless | the tables of a TrueType or OpenType font, each compressed | 2009 | fonts served by websites |
How to use the WOFF2 converter
- Choose the format you want in the Convert to menu.
- Drop your WOFF2 files on the box, or press Choose WOFF2 files. Several files can go in at once.
- Adjust the settings if you need to; the defaults suit most people.
- Press Convert and save each file with its Download button. The file is converted on our server and deleted as soon as the result is sent back.
Tips for converting WOFF2 files without losing anything
Converting a WOFF2 file keeps the design of every glyph. Between packagings, such as WOFF, WOFF2 and EOT, the font inside is unchanged; between TrueType and PostScript outlines, the curves are redrawn with no visible difference, though hinting can change.
- Check the licence before converting a font for the web: many desktop licences do not allow web embedding.
- Serve WOFF (or WOFF2) to browsers and keep TTF or OTF for installing on computers.
- Converting between TTF, OTF, WOFF and WOFF2 keeps the design of every glyph; only a change between TrueType and PostScript outlines redraws the curves, with no visible difference.
- Subsetting a font to the characters you use is the biggest saving for web pages.
- Test the converted font in a browser page before rolling it out, to confirm every weight and style is linked in your CSS.
- Keep one family per folder with clear file names such as Brand-Bold.woff, so the right weight is always loaded.
- Variable fonts convert the same way; the axes and named instances travel with the font tables unchanged.
Convert WOFF2 files from the command line
Google's woff2 tools unpack the font on your own computer; FontForge then changes its outline type if needed:
woff2_decompress input.woff2
fontforge -lang=py -c "import fontforge, sys; fontforge.open(sys.argv[1]).generate(sys.argv[2])" input.ttf output.otfConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
WOFF2 converter FAQ
What is a WOFF2 file?
WOFF2 stands for Web Open Font Format 2, a font format created by the World Wide Web Consortium in 2014. WOFF2 compresses a font with Brotli and restructures its glyph data first, so it usually comes out around 30 percent smaller than WOFF. Every current browser supports it, which makes it the format to serve on the web today.
How do I open a WOFF2 file?
WOFF2 loads in every current browser through CSS; cannot be installed on a computer. If the program you need will not open it, convert it to a more widely supported format above.
What is the most common WOFF2 conversion?
WOFF2 to OTF is the conversion people search for most. Google's woff2 tools unpack the WOFF2 on our conversion server, restoring the TrueType or OpenType font inside.
Does converting WOFF2 files here upload them?
Yes. WOFF2 conversions need woff2 and FontForge, open-source programs that cannot run in a browser, so they run on our conversion server. The file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept.
Is the WOFF2 converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Conversions that use our server accept files up to 25 MB, with a fair-use limit per hour. The site is supported by advertising.
Can I convert WOFF2 files on iPhone or Android?
Yes. Open this page in Safari on iPhone and iPad, or in Chrome on Android, choose your WOFF2 files and download the results to your Downloads folder.
Can I convert several WOFF2 files at once?
Yes. Drop as many as you like; they are converted one after another, each with its own download button.