How to see what's inside a .TORRENT file
Three steps, a few seconds.
Open your .TORRENT file
Drop the small file on the box or click to choose it. Only its description is read - no peers or trackers are ever contacted.
Inspect the contents
Browse the folder tree with sizes, see the file-type mix and spot anything you didn't expect, such as a program hidden among media files.
Copy hash or magnet
Copy the info hash or a ready-made magnet link for your torrent app, or review the trackers the file lists.
What is a .TORRENT file?
A tiny description file for a big download.
A .torrent file is a small metadata file that tells a BitTorrent client what to download and which servers (trackers) to contact; the actual content is not inside it. To open one, install qBittorrent or Transmission and double-click the file. The .torrent format is legal; whether the content it points to is legal depends on what that content is.
Programs that open .TORRENT files
| Full name | BitTorrent Metainfo File |
|---|---|
| Developer | BitTorrent (originally Bram Cohen / BitTorrent, Inc.) |
| First released | 2001 (BitTorrent protocol; BEP-3 metainfo specification) |
| Category | Data & Other |
| MIME type | application/x-bittorrent |
| Signature | 64 38 3A 61 6E 6E 6F 75 6E 63 65 ("d8:announce" - typical start of a bencoded dictionary) |
Related viewers
Other free tools to open and preview your files.
Frequently asked questions
Does opening a .TORRENT file download anything?
No. The viewer only reads your .TORRENT description file. It never contacts trackers or other computers, and nothing is shared.
What is the info hash?
A fingerprint of the torrent's file list. Every copy of the same torrent has the same info hash, which is how torrent apps find each other. v1 torrents use SHA-1 (40 hex characters), v2 torrents use SHA-256 (64 characters).
How do I use the magnet link?
Copy it and paste it into your torrent app (most have “Add magnet link” or “Open URL”), or click Open in app if one is installed.
What does “private” mean?
Private torrents belong to invite-only trackers. Torrent apps disable DHT and peer exchange for them, and the tracker URL usually contains your personal passkey - don't share it.
Why is there a file I didn't expect?
Always check before downloading: a “movie” that contains .exe, .scr or .bat files is a classic malware trick. The viewer flags executable files in the tree.
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