What is a HELP file?
A .HELP file is primarily a Mac OS X Help Book created by Apple. It contains the help documentation for a specific macOS application. On a Mac, a .HELP file is actually a special folder called a package. This package holds standard web files like HTML, CSS, images, and property list (XML) files. These files work together to display searchable instructions and guides when a user opens the help menu inside a Mac application.
Because a .HELP file is a bundle of web assets, you cannot easily open it as a single document on Windows or Linux computers. In other contexts, developers or independent software may use the .HELP extension for plain text readme files or custom proprietary help formats.
How to open HELP files?
On an Apple Mac, you can view a .HELP file by double-clicking it. The operating system will open it using the built-in Apple Help Viewer. If you want to see the raw files inside the package, you can right-click the .HELP file and select "Show Package Contents." This allows you to browse the folders and open the individual HTML files in a web browser like Safari or Google Chrome.
If you use Windows or Linux, you cannot double-click a .HELP file to open it. You can try to explore the folder structure if your file manager recognizes it as a directory, or you can use a file archiver tool like 7-Zip to extract the contents.
Inspect and view HELP files online
viewer.online/help can analyze .HELP files to identify the exact format and creator software, inspect the file structure, extract readable text, and check whether an online preview is available. Because the .HELP extension might have multiple possible meanings across different platforms, our tool is the safest way to identify the actual format of your file.
Summary
viewer.online/help is useful for identifying, inspecting, and understanding .HELP files without installing software or dealing with compatibility problems.