Identification by content, not by name
Bank and government files often arrive with meaningless names like export_20261023.dat or download.xml. The detector reads the first bytes and the structure of the file in your browser and recognises the format from what is inside:
Format Recognised by
CODA bank statement 128-character records, first record starts with 0000
CAMT.052 / 053 / 054 ISO 20022 camt.05x namespace
UBL invoice / Peppol BIS Invoice or CreditNote root, Peppol CustomizationID
XBRL (NBB annual accounts) xbrli:xbrl root and taxonomy reference
Intervat VATConsignment, ClientListingConsignment, IntraConsignment
DmfA DmfA root or namespace (RSZ/ONSS quarterly return)
Belcotax-on-web 281.xx / 325.xx forms, Belcotax field names
KMEHR kmehrmessage root, eHealth namespace
FHIR JSON with resourceType (Belgian profiles noted)
PDF, images, ZIP file signature (%PDF, PNG, JPEG, PK)The result offers the right next step, such as the CODA viewer, invoice viewer or XBRL viewer.
Identifiers inside the file
Whatever the format, every Belgian identifier in the file (enterprise and VAT numbers, national numbers, IBANs, OGMs) is extracted and validated, so you see at a glance which company, which account and which person the file concerns.
Edge cases
- Sensitive files. DmfA, Belcotax and health files (KMEHR, FHIR) contain personal data; they are flagged as sensitive. Detection never sends them anywhere.
- Wrong extension. A CODA file saved as .txt or a UBL invoice saved as .dat is still recognised, because only the content counts.
- Encoding. CODA files are often in Windows-1252 rather than UTF-8; the detector tolerates both.
- Unknown formats are reported as such, with a formatted view of generic XML or JSON when possible.
Who uses it
Accountants who receive files from clients without explanation, developers debugging an integration with a bank or a government platform, and support staff who need to know what a customer sent all use the detector as a first step. It answers the question 'what is this file?' before you decide which software should open it.
The guide to Belgian administration files describes each format; the CODA vs CAMT guide explains the two bank formats. For pasted text instead of files, use the identifier detector.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether a file is CODA or CAMT?
Drop it here. CODA files are fixed-width text with 128-character records starting with 0000; CAMT files are ISO 20022 XML with a camt.052, 053 or 054 namespace.
Which Belgian formats are recognised?
CODA, CAMT.052/053/054, UBL and Peppol BIS invoices, XBRL annual accounts, Intervat VAT files, DmfA, Belcotax-on-web, KMEHR and FHIR, plus common PDF, image and ZIP files.
Does the file extension matter?
No. The format is recognised from the content, so files with a wrong or missing extension are still identified.
What does it do with identifiers in the file?
Every Belgian identifier is extracted and validated, such as VAT and enterprise numbers, IBANs, OGMs and national numbers.
Is the file uploaded?
No. The file is read in your browser and never leaves your device.