THE FILE FIELD GUIDE

.ofx

Open Financial Exchange Data

Data & Science

OFX has SGML-based 1.x and XML-based 2.x variants. Support varies by application and transaction type; an XML parsing failure alone does not prove corruption.

Main use: Exchange account and transaction data
Data type: Text data

All sections, questions and sources

Content reviewed：2026-10-19 · Editor：Kai

Opening steps

Choose your environment or purpose to see its steps.

An OFX-capable financial application

Preserve the original and inspect a working copy in a compatible application.

Inspect a copy’s header in a text editor.
Select it through the application’s OFX import.
Review account, currency, period and candidate transactions.

Inspect the received file and its requirements

Establish dependencies and settings before proceeding.

Confirm it is an authorized institution export.
Match OFX version and importer support.
Distinguish unrelated uses such as OpenFX plug-ins.

Menu labels and support vary by app, OS and version. Preserve the original before making changes.

Troubleshooting by symptom

XML error: check whether it is OFX 1.x SGML.
Account unrecognized: inspect type and support.
Date shift: inspect timestamp/time-zone interpretation.
Duplicates: compare identifiers and prior imports.

OFX → supported application / analysis CSV

Review imported data before exporting required analysis tables.
Reopen the output and check it against the preservation points in this guide before handoff.

CSV may omit account structure, transaction IDs or investment details.

Readable text versus compatible data

Visible numbers do not prove correct interpretation of signs, currencies and transaction types. Compare with the original statement.

Source for these steps：Financial Data Exchange · OFX Work Group / Financial Data Exchange · OFX specification 2.2

Worked example: checks before handoff

Example: compare period, count and several incoming/outgoing transactions for a monthly import.

Source for these steps：Financial Data Exchange · OFX Work Group / Financial Data Exchange · OFX specification 2.2

Related-format differences

Related-format differences
Format / method	Purpose and preserved information
.ofx	Exchange account and transaction data
CSV	Generic table data rather than a financial message hierarchy.
OFX → supported application / analysis CSV	CSV may omit account structure, transaction IDs or investment details.

Handling and security

Account/transaction data may be plain text; verify recipients and access control.

Questions and answers

Will renaming to XML fix it?

Renaming does not change version syntax.

Identical to QBO/QFX?

They are related but have different product acceptance rules.

Is it an OpenFX file?

A video plug-in producer indicates a different use.

Format facts: name, steward and MIME type

Formal name: Open Financial Exchange Data
Steward / specification: Financial Data Exchange
MIME type: Consult the producer or delivery system. The extension alone does not establish a MIME type.

Primary and official sources

Software documentationOFX Work Group
OFX SGML/XML versions and specifications.
Financial Data Exchange · Link checked：2026-10-16
StandardOFX specification 2.2
Account and transaction interchange specification.
Financial Data Exchange · Link checked：2026-10-16