Frequently asked questions
Answers about the sample files, their sizes, downloading and how the site works.
About the files
- What is a sample file?
- A ready-made file in a known format and of a known size, used in place of a real document when building or testing software. Because its properties are documented, you can tell at once whether your application handled it correctly.
- Is a sample file the same as a test file, a dummy file or an example file?
- Yes. The four names are used interchangeably for a file with known contents that stands in for a real one. This site says "sample file" throughout, but every download works equally well as a test file, a dummy file or an example file.
- Where do the files come from?
- Every file is produced by this site's own generator, which writes each format from its published specification. Nothing is collected from other websites or converted from third-party documents.
- Are the files free to use?
- Yes. You may download, use, modify and redistribute them in personal and commercial projects without attribution. The full wording is in the terms of use.
- Do the files contain real personal data?
- No. Names, companies and addresses are invented. Email addresses use the example.com, example.org and example.net domains reserved for documentation, and IP addresses in log samples come from ranges reserved for the same purpose.
- Are the files safe to open?
- They contain no executable code, macros, scripts or trackers, and each one is checked for the expected format and integrity when it is generated. No website can promise more than that about a download, so scan files with your own security tools as you would any other.
Sizes
- Are the file sizes exact?
- Yes. A sized sample is built to its exact byte count: the 1 MB files are 1,048,576 bytes and the 10 MB files are 10,485,760 bytes. The count is printed on each download page.
- Is a megabyte 1,000,000 or 1,048,576 bytes here?
- 1,048,576. The site uses binary multiples, which is what operating systems and nearly all server limits mean by KB and MB. If your limit is defined in decimal units, these files are about 5 percent larger than the figure of the same name.
- How can a real PDF or JPG be an exact size?
- The generator sizes the real content first, for example by choosing image dimensions or the number of rows, and then closes the last small gap using a mechanism the format provides, such as a comment field. Each download page states how many bytes of padding were used and where.
- Why is a size missing for some formats?
- Some formats have a fixed overhead that makes a very small file impossible: a Word document cannot be 1 KB. A size is only published when the result is a genuine, working file.
- What sizes are available?
- From 1 KB to 10 MB. The sizes page lists every one, with the formats available at each.
Downloading
- How do I download a file?
- Open the page for the format and size you need and press the green download button. The page also shows a direct URL that you can pass to curl or wget.
- How do I check that a download is intact?
- Compute the SHA-256 checksum of the file you received and compare it with the value on the download page. On Linux use sha256sum, on macOS shasum -a 256, and on Windows Get-FileHash in PowerShell.
- What does Preview do?
- It displays the file in your browser without saving it: images, PDFs, audio and video are shown directly, and text formats show their first 64 KB. Formats that browsers cannot display, such as ZIP or DOCX, show their details instead.
- Can my test suite download files from this site on every run?
- It can, but it should not. A test that depends on another website fails when the network does. Download the files once and keep them with your tests or in your own storage.
- Do downloads work on a phone?
- Yes. Every download is a direct link. Files are saved to the Downloads folder on Android and to the Files app on iPhone and iPad.
The site
- Do I need an account?
- No. There is no registration, no login and no email form anywhere on the site.
- How is the site funded?
- By advertising. Advertisements are labelled as such and are kept apart from download buttons. Nothing on the site will ask you to click an advertisement or to install software in order to get a file.
- What information does the site collect about me?
- The site has no accounts and sets no cookies of its own. The hosting provider keeps ordinary server logs, and advertising, where shown, is provided by Google under the terms described in the privacy policy.
- Can you add a format or a size?
- Possibly. A format is added when valid files for it can be generated and checked automatically. Write to contact@sjwebtechwork.com and say what you would use it for.
- How do I report a problem with a file?
- Email contact@sjwebtechwork.com with the file name and what happened. If you computed a checksum, include it.
Still looking?
The file safety page explains how files are generated and checked, the guides cover testing in detail, and you can always write to us.