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View a RIS file online, free

View and format .RIS files online. Pretty-print, search and explore the data as a table or tree, free.

Drop your .RIS file here

Opens your .RIS file right here.

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Up to 50 MB · JSON, XML, YAML, TOML, INI
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100% free. No limits on use

How to open a JSON file online

Three steps, a few seconds, no software.

01

Open your .RIS file

Drop it on the box, choose it from your device, or paste the data straight in.

02

View the structure

Your .RIS file opens as a tidy, foldable tree, with the exact line of any error pointed out.

03

Search, copy or download

Search keys and values, copy any path or value, switch to a table, or download a clean copy.

What is a .RIS file?

The most common data format on the web.

An RIS file is a plain-text bibliographic citation file, the standard exchange format used by Google Scholar, PubMed, and library databases to hand references to citation managers. You do not really open it; you import it into Zotero (free), Mendeley, or EndNote. If double-clicking does nothing, no reference manager is installed yet.

Programs that open .RIS files

Windows
EndNote, JabRef, Mendeley Reference Manager, Notepad / any text editor, Zotero
macOS
EndNote, BibDesk, Mendeley Reference Manager, Zotero
Linux
JabRef, Zotero
iOS
Zotero for iOS
Web
EndNote Online (EndNote Web), Paperpile
.RIS format details
Full nameResearch Information Systems citation file
DeveloperResearch Information Systems (creators of Reference Manager; format now associated with Clarivate/EndNote)
First releasedEarly 1990s (Reference Manager, Research Information Systems); publicly documented tag set, no formal standards body
CategoryText & Code
MIME typeapplication/x-research-info-systems

Related viewers

Every viewer is free to use.

Frequently asked questions

Is my .RIS file uploaded anywhere?

No. The file is opened directly from the copy you pick.

My .RIS file is invalid. Can you fix it?

We show the exact line and column of the first error. For common problems like comments, trailing commas, single quotes or Python-style True/False/None, click Try to repair and download the fixed file.

How large can the file be?

Up to 50 MB. The tree only builds the branches you open, so even multi-megabyte files stay responsive.

What is JSONPath?

A path like $.orders[3].customer.email that points to one value inside the data. Click any node to see its path and copy it for code, jq or your API docs.

Can I see my data as a table?

Yes. Any array of objects can be shown in the Table view and downloaded as CSV.

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