MBOX File Documentation

Overview

Feature Value
Format Type E-mail Mailbox File
Primary Use Email storage and archiving
File Extension .mbox
MIME Type application/mbox
File Structure Sequential
Email Storage Format Plain text
Character Encoding Varies (ASCII, UTF-8 common)
Email Separator Line starting with "From "
Attachment Encoding Base64 or Quoted-Printable
Support for Folders No, single file storage
Compatibility Widely supported by email clients
Editability Text editor or specialized software
Indexing Not inherently supported; requires external tools
Searchability Text search, custom tools can provide more functionality
Compression Not natively, but can be compressed with ZIP, RAR, etc.
Supports Encryption Not natively, but can be encrypted using external tools
Maximum File Size Depends on filesystem and email client
Backing Up Suitable for backing up emails
Portability High, can be moved easily between systems
Archiving Effective for long-term email archiving
Open Format Yes