.azw3

What is a .azw3 file?

AZW3 is Amazon's modern e-book format (also called KF8) — supporting HTML5 and CSS3 for Kindle devices and apps.

Safe format
Type Document
By Amazon
MIME application/vnd.amazon.ebook

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What is it

You bought an e-book from Amazon or published through Kindle Direct Publishing. The file is likely AZW3 — Amazon's modern e-book format, also known as KF8 (Kindle Format 8). It replaced the older MOBI format with support for HTML5 and CSS3, bringing Kindle e-books closer to the formatting capabilities of EPUB.

AZW3 is Amazon's proprietary container built on the EPUB/HTML foundation. Kindle purchases are typically DRM-protected AZW3 files that can only be read on Kindle devices and apps. Unprotected AZW3 files (from Kindle Direct Publishing or DRM-free publishers) can be converted to EPUB using Calibre. Under the hood, AZW3 supports complex layouts, embedded fonts, fixed-layout pages, and rich formatting — a significant upgrade from MOBI's limited capabilities.

Kindle devices and the Kindle app (every platform) read AZW3 natively. Calibre (free, all platforms) opens unprotected AZW3 files and converts between e-book formats. For publishing, Amazon accepts EPUB, DOCX, or KPF (Kindle Create output) — you don't need to create AZW3 directly.

Technical details
Full Name
Amazon Kindle Format 8
MIME Type
application/vnd.amazon.ebook
Developer
Amazon
Magic Bytes
N/A
Safety
.azw3 is a known, safe format.
What opens it
Kindle
FREE All
Calibre
FREE All
FAQ
What's the difference between AZW3 and MOBI?
AZW3 (KF8) is the newer format — it supports HTML5, CSS3, embedded fonts, and complex layouts. MOBI is the older format with limited formatting. Amazon uses AZW3 for modern Kindle devices. If you're publishing, submit EPUB and let Amazon convert.
Can I convert AZW3 to EPUB?
Calibre (free) converts unprotected AZW3 files to EPUB. DRM-protected files (purchased from Amazon) cannot be legally converted. Newer Kindle devices now support EPUB directly, reducing the need for conversion.
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