.CIL file extension

To open .CIL files on Windows, check whether you have Microsoft Office / Microsoft Clip Gallery available (commonly via older Office installations). If available, open/import the .CIL from within the Clip Gallery workflow.

To open a .CIL file, use Microsoft Clip Gallery (commonly installed with older Microsoft Office versions) or a compatible Microsoft Office/Clip Gallery workflow. If you don’t have that software, your best option is usually to open it on a Windows PC with legacy Office components, rather than renaming the extension.

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Last updated: April 29, 2026 · Reviewed by Julian Stricker

Open on your device

Choose your operating system for a dedicated step-by-step opening guide.

How to open .CIL files

Use these platform-specific instructions to open .CIL files safely.

Windows

Check whether you have Microsoft Office / Microsoft Clip Gallery available (commonly via older Office installations). If available, open/import the .CIL from within the Clip Gallery workflow.
If double-clicking doesn’t work, right-click the file → Open with → choose the Clip Gallery / Office-related program if listed.
If you don’t have Clip Gallery components installed, transfer the file to a Windows PC that does, since .CIL support is uncommon in modern apps.

Full Windows guide

Mac

Try opening the .CIL file from Finder (double-click). If macOS reports no application can open it, that is expected for this legacy format.
If you need the contents, move the file to a Windows system with Microsoft Clip Gallery / compatible Microsoft Office-era tools to import/extract the clip art.

Full Mac guide

Linux

Try opening the file from your file manager; if no application is suggested, that is common for .CIL.
If your desktop environment supports adding file associations via MIME rules (shared-mime-info), note that an association alone won’t help unless you have a real Clip Gallery-capable application installed.
For practical access, transfer the file to a Windows environment that has Microsoft Clip Gallery / Office-era clip art tools.

Full Linux guide

iOS

iOS typically cannot open .CIL directly. If you need the clip art inside, transfer the .CIL to a desktop (preferably Windows with Clip Gallery/Office-era tools) to import or extract the content.

Full iOS guide

Android

Android typically cannot open .CIL directly. For best results, move the file to a desktop (preferably Windows with Clip Gallery/Office-era tools) to import or extract the clip art.

Full Android guide

Security notes

.CIL is a packaged content format; treat it as untrusted input if it comes from unknown sources because vulnerabilities often exist in legacy file parsers and importers.
Be cautious with .CIL files obtained from third-party clip-art sites or archives: even if the content is “just clip art,” the file still needs to be parsed by an application, which can be a risk with older software.
If possible, open .CIL files in a controlled environment (for example, a dedicated older Windows VM used for legacy document assets) rather than on a primary machine.

Recommended antivirus software

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Avast

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Norton

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Can't open this file?

These are the most common causes and fixes when .CIL files fail to open.

Common reasons

No app can open the .CIL file
Windows opens it in the wrong program
The .CIL file looks like a corrupted or incomplete download
Linux desktop shows a MIME type but still can’t open the file

Fix steps

Open it on a Windows machine with Microsoft Clip Gallery / older Microsoft Office components available.
If you’re on macOS/Linux/mobile, transfer the file to Windows for import/extraction rather than searching for a generic image viewer (a .CIL is not typically a single image).

OS-specific troubleshooting

What is a .CIL file?

The .CIL extension is associated with the Clip Gallery Packaged Format used for downloading or packaging clip art for Microsoft Clip Gallery. In practice, .CIL is treated as a Clip Gallery package rather than a single image file. Extension-to-MIME mappings commonly associate .cil with the vendor MIME type application/vnd.ms-artgalry (as seen in MIME reference lists and IANA’s registry listing for that media type).

Background

CIL files are most commonly encountered as packaged clip art content intended for Microsoft Clip Gallery, a component historically used alongside Microsoft Office to browse and insert clip art into documents. These files were typically distributed as downloadable clip art packs, making it easier to install or import multiple assets at once.

Because .CIL is tied to Microsoft Clip Gallery workflows, modern systems may not have a default app that recognizes or imports it. Many users run into the file by retrieving older Office content, legacy templates, or archived clip art collections.

On Linux desktops, how the system decides what app should open a file is often driven by MIME type mapping rules (for example through the freedesktop.org shared-mime-info mechanism). Even if your system recognizes a related MIME type, you still need a compatible application that can actually parse Clip Gallery packages—mere association is not enough.

Common MIME types: application/vnd.ms-artgalry

Common .CIL issues

No app can open the .CIL file

This is common because .CIL is a legacy Clip Gallery package format and most modern systems don’t include software that can import it.

Open it on a Windows machine with Microsoft Clip Gallery / older Microsoft Office components available.
If you’re on macOS/Linux/mobile, transfer the file to Windows for import/extraction rather than searching for a generic image viewer (a .CIL is not typically a single image).

Windows opens it in the wrong program

File associations can point .CIL to an unrelated app, which will fail to interpret Clip Gallery packaged content.

Right-click the file → Open with → choose the Microsoft Clip Gallery / relevant Office-era program if available.
If the correct program is missing, install/enable the Office/Clip Gallery components on a compatible Windows setup.

The .CIL file looks like a corrupted or incomplete download

Clip-art packages may fail to import if the download is truncated or altered during transfer.

Re-download or re-copy the file from the original source, preferably using a direct file transfer method (not via apps that may rewrite or compress attachments).
Compare file size with the source and try importing again using the Clip Gallery workflow.

Linux desktop shows a MIME type but still can’t open the file

MIME recognition and file associations (e.g., via shared-mime-info) do not guarantee an installed application can parse the format.

Treat the MIME association as informational; you still need a Clip Gallery-capable tool.
Use a Windows environment with Microsoft Clip Gallery / compatible Office-era tools for actual access to the contents.

FAQ

What does a .CIL file contain?

Most commonly it’s a Clip Gallery packaged file used to distribute/import clip art collections for Microsoft Clip Gallery rather than a single standard image.

Can I open a .CIL file in an image viewer?

Usually no. A .CIL file is typically a package meant for Microsoft Clip Gallery workflows, so generic viewers generally won’t understand it.

Is application/vnd.ms-artgalry the official MIME type for .CIL?

application/vnd.ms-artgalry is a vendor media type listed by IANA and appears in MIME reference lists. Many extension↔MIME mappings associate .cil with this type, but actual behavior still depends on what software is installed.

Will renaming the file extension help?

No. Renaming only changes the label; it won’t convert a Clip Gallery package into a different format. Use the proper Clip Gallery/Office import workflow on a compatible system.

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