How to Inspect a ZIP Without Extracting It
A ZIP header already tells you the useful facts: names, sizes, and methods. This guide explains how to read those headers and what the viewer deliberately does not claim.
What is the ZIP File Viewer?
Before extracting anything, it helps to see what an archive actually contains. This viewer reads ZIP local headers and lists each entry with its name, size, compressed size, and method. You can paste a base64 archive for a script-friendly check, or choose a file in a browser, and stored entries can be previewed as text.
How to use it
- Paste a base64 ZIP string, or choose a ZIP file in a browser.
- Click View ZIP Contents.
- Read each entry name, size, and method.
- For stored text entries, check the content preview.
Worked example
For a stored archive holding hello.txt, the viewer lists one entry named hello.txt with matching size and compressed size and a stored method.
What can you learn from ZIP headers alone?
Every entry name, its uncompressed and compressed sizes, and whether it was stored or deflated, all before any extraction step runs.
Frequently asked questions
Can it extract deflate entries?
No. It lists stored and deflate entries, but only stored entries are previewed as text here.
Why does the base64 path matter?
It lets the same parser be tested without a file picker, which is useful in scripts and automated checks.