---
title: Binary file extensions supported in External Content Connectors
description: Connector administrators can restrict the binary file types an external content connector retrieves by specifying file extensions in inclusion or exclusion filters.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/file-extensions-ext-cont-connector.html
release: australia
product: Search Administration
classification: search-administration
topic_type: reference
last_updated: "2026-07-15"
reading_time_minutes: 1
keywords: [ServiceNow Otto, AI Agents, generative AI, agentic AI]
breadcrumb: [Reference, External Content Connectors, Search administration, Configure core features, Administer the ServiceNow AI Platform]
---

# Binary file extensions supported in External Content Connectors

Connector administrators can restrict the binary file types an external content connector retrieves by specifying file extensions in inclusion or exclusion filters.

<table id="table_ink_3mv_sdc"><thead><tr><th>

Binary file type

</th><th>

Supported file extensions

</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>

Comma-Separated Values

</td><td>

`.csv`

</td></tr><tr><td>

Email Message

</td><td>

-   `.eml`
-   `.msg`

</td></tr><tr><td>

Extensible Markup Language

</td><td>

`.xml`

</td></tr><tr><td>

Hypertext Markup Language

</td><td>

-   `.htm`
-   `.html`

</td></tr><tr><td>

Microsoft Excel

</td><td>

-   `.xls`
-   `.xlsm`
-   `.xlsx`
-   `.xltx`

</td></tr><tr><td>

Microsoft PowerPoint

</td><td>

-   `.potx`
-   `.pps`
-   `.ppsx`
-   `.ppt`
-   `.pptm`
-   `.pptx`

</td></tr><tr><td>

Microsoft Word

</td><td>

-   `.doc`
-   `.docm`
-   `.docx`
-   `.dotx`

</td></tr><tr><td>

Plain Text

</td><td>

`.txt`

</td></tr><tr><td>

Portable Document Format

</td><td>

`.pdf`

</td></tr><tr><td>

Rich Text Format

</td><td>

`.rtf`

</td></tr></tbody>
</table>**Note:** Some external content connectors include support for indexing searchable content and metadata from additional content formats, such as video transcriptions or source-specific native document formats. Examples of source-specific native document formats include `.aspx` pages in Microsoft SharePoint Online and Wiki pages in Atlassian Confluence Cloud.

For details on defining file-extension inclusion and exclusion filters for external content connectors, see [Configuring crawl settings for external content connectors](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/cfg-crawl-settings-ext-cont-connector.md).

Binary files may be retrieved as content items, or as attachments found on content items. The exact behavior depends on the connector type.

**Important:** The maximum file size for binary files is 25 MB. Keyword indexing processes up to the first 1 MB of text. Use semantic search to index data containing between 1 MB and 25 MB of text.

**Parent Topic:**[External Content Connectors reference](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/platform-administration/search-administration/reference-ext-cont-connectors.md)