.ZIP

Sample ZIP Files

Archives that look like real user uploads: messy folders, odd names, hidden system files, empty directories and files with the wrong extension. Plus clean archives at fixed sizes.

.zipapplication/zip8 filesFree · No sign-upUnlimited downloads
Custom size by Technology Channel · Free to use for testing and development, including commercial projects.

All ZIP sample files

8 files, 22 B – 10.0 MB. Click a file to download it again any time.

Messy folders collectionPopular

messy-folders.zip

A realistic, untidy folder tree: deep nesting, duplicates, copies, odd names, unicode, empty folders, zero-byte files, wrong extensions, hidden files and a zip inside a zip. Extracts cleanly on every OS.

  • 50 files
  • 25 folders
  • 1022 KB unpacked
75 entries · 1022 KB uncompressed

One of every format

sample-mixed-formats.zip

A single small file in each of the 20 formats, from PDF to HEIC. Great for testing type detection and previews.

  • 21 files
  • 20 formats
  • 1.9 MB unpacked
22 entries · 1.9 MB uncompressed

20 levels deep

sample-nested-folders.zip

One folder inside another, 20 levels deep, with a file at every level. Tests recursion and path-length handling.

  • 20 levels
  • 21 files
  • 573 B unpacked
12.1 KB Download
41 entries · 573 B uncompressed

1,000 small files

sample-1000-files.zip

1,000 tiny text and JSON files across 10 folders. Tests extraction speed, file counts and batch processing.

  • 1,000 files
  • 10 folders
  • 40.5 KB unpacked
1,010 entries · 40.5 KB uncompressed

Unicode file names

sample-unicode-filenames.zip

Folders and files named in 13 scripts plus emoji, stored with the UTF-8 flag. Tests encoding bugs in extractors.

  • 16 files
  • UTF-8 names
  • 13 scripts
30 entries · 200 B uncompressed

Exactly 1 MB

sample-1mb.zip

Exactly 1,048,576 bytes of incompressible data. Use it to test upload limits precisely.

  • 1,048,576 bytes
  • Stored, no compression
  • 2 files
2 entries · 1024 KB uncompressed

Exactly 10 MB

sample-10mb.zip

Exactly 10,485,760 bytes of incompressible data. Use it to test upload limits precisely.

  • 10,485,760 bytes
  • Stored, no compression
  • 2 files
10.0 MB Download
2 entries · 10.0 MB uncompressed

Empty archive

sample-empty.zip

A valid zip with no entries (22 bytes). Checks that your code handles an empty archive gracefully.

  • 0 entries
  • 22 bytes
  • Edge case
0 entries
Exact-size generator

Need a ZIP of a different size?

Create a valid ZIP file of any exact size, byte for byte, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, and you can generate as many as you like.

  • Perfect for upload limits: 9.99 MB, 10 MB and 10.01 MB in seconds.
  • Up to 20 copies at once, bundled in one ZIP.
  • Unique copies get different checksums, for duplicate-detection tests.

Use cases

What you can test

  • Folder upload and extraction with a realistic, messy tree.
  • Path handling: spaces, unicode, very long names and deep nesting.
  • Hidden and system files such as .DS_Store, Thumbs.db and __MACOSX.
  • Content checks on files whose extension does not match their contents.
  • Performance with 1,000 small files.
  • Empty archives and empty folders.
  • Upload size limits with the 1 MB and 10 MB archives.
Reference

ZIP format facts

Extension.zip
MIME typeapplication/zip
File signature50 4B 03 04 (PK..). Empty archive: 50 4B 05 06
OriginPhil Katz, PKWARE, 1989 · APPNOTE.TXT
Files here8 · 13.9 MB in total
LicenseFree for any use, no attribution
About the format

What is a ZIP file?

ZIP was created by Phil Katz of PKWARE in 1989. It stores files and folders with optional Deflate compression, and its central directory lets software list contents without extracting everything. DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, JAR and APK files are all ZIP archives inside.

The messy folders archive recreates the chaos of real uploads: duplicate names, "final (2)" copies, uppercase extensions, hidden files and empty folders. Everything inside is harmless sample content.

Developers

List contents with Python

List contents with Python
import zipfile

with zipfile.ZipFile("files/zip/messy-folders.zip") as z:
    for info in z.infolist()[:10]:
        print(info.filename, info.file_size)
Download with cURL
curl -O https://samplefiles.technologychannel.org/files/zip/messy-folders.zip
FAQ

ZIP files: common questions

What is inside the messy folders ZIP?

A realistic project folder with nested directories, odd and unicode file names, hidden system files, empty folders, zero-byte files and files with mismatched extensions. The full tree is listed on this page.

Do the archives contain executables or zip bombs?

No. They contain only documents, images, media, text and data files. Nothing runs on extraction, and compression ratios are normal.

Can I use these archives in commercial projects?

Yes. Every archive here is free for any use, including commercial testing, demos and tutorials. No attribution is required.

Can I download the same archive more than once?

Yes, as many times as you like. There is no sign-up, no daily limit and no waiting timer. Direct links also work in scripts, CI jobs and automated tests.