File Formats Supported by Project Desktop
Microsoft Project desktop supports several file formats for different jobs. The central format is the Project Plan file (.mpp); other options are templates, exchange formats, or fixed-layout outputs for sharing project information. See What Is an MPP File? for the working-plan format and MPP compatibility for version handoffs.
| Format | Role in a Project workflow |
|---|---|
Project Plan (.mpp) | The standard file format for an individual project plan. |
Project Template (.mpt) | A template format for reusable, boilerplate information. |
XML (.xml) | A structured interchange format for moving Project data between Project and other programs. |
| Excel, CSV, and text | Formats for exchanging field data or tables; they do not necessarily represent a complete Project plan. |
| XPS | A fixed-layout format that preserves document formatting for sharing. |
| A fixed-layout export format; Project can save to PDF but cannot open a PDF as a project. |
These format roles distinguish a working project plan from templates, data-exchange files, and fixed-layout outputs.1
The distinction is important: an export can contain familiar task rows without preserving every dependency, assignment, calendar setting, or other scheduling behavior in the original MPP. This article summarizes the format roles and the practical differences that matter when choosing a file type.
Format details
Section titled “Format details”Project Plan (.mpp)
Section titled “Project Plan (.mpp)”MPP is the standard format for an individual Project plan. It is the natural choice when another Project desktop user needs to continue planning, edit task relationships, or preserve the plan’s scheduling information. For reusable project structures, see Microsoft Project Templates; for safe saving and file passwords, see Save and Protect Microsoft Project Files.
Project Template (.mpt)
Section titled “Project Template (.mpt)”MPT is a template format for reusable, boilerplate information. A template helps standardize the starting point for similar projects; it is not the same as the finished project plan created from it.
XML (.xml)
Section titled “XML (.xml)”XML is a structured interchange format. Project can import and export project data in XML so another program can process that data. XML is best understood as a bridge between applications, not as a replacement for the normal MPP working file.
Excel, CSV, and text
Section titled “Excel, CSV, and text”These formats carry field data or tables. They are useful for reporting and data exchange, but they do not necessarily carry the full plan. In particular, a table export may omit the relationships and settings that make Project’s schedule behave like a schedule. Project supports Excel .xls, .xlsx, and .xlsb for exchanging field data, but it cannot open or save .xlsm workbooks.
XPS and PDF
Section titled “XPS and PDF”XPS and PDF preserve the appearance of a view for sharing or printing. They are presentation outputs, not editable Project plans. Project can save to PDF, but it cannot open a PDF as a project file.
Formats Project does not use
Section titled “Formats Project does not use”Some older or database-oriented formats are not supported as Project files. Project cannot open or save Project 98, MPX, MPD, MDB, or ODBC files. If a legacy system produces one of these formats, convert or export the data before attempting to build a new Project plan.
Choosing a format
Section titled “Choosing a format”Choose MPP when another Project user needs to continue planning or editing. Choose XML when structured project data must be exchanged with another program. Choose Excel, CSV, or text when the goal is a table or selected field data rather than a complete, editable Project plan.
Project Plan 365 is another tool for opening and saving MPP files from Project 2010 and later, or sharing a plan as MPP or PDF. Its supported formats and sharing options describe that product’s import, export, and sharing workflows, separately from the Project desktop formats covered above.