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What Is MapInfo TAB (and MIF/MID)? Format Overview

Learn what MapInfo TAB and MIF/MID files are, how sidecar files work, and how to open or convert MapInfo datasets online.

MapInfo is a family of GIS formats commonly seen as TAB datasets or MIF/MID pairs. Like Shapefile, MapInfo datasets can include multiple files that must stay together for correct loading.

To preview MapInfo data in the browser, convert it to GeoJSON first: /mapinfo-to-geojson/.

What MapInfo TAB and MIF/MID contain

Common files include:

  • .tab — dataset definition
  • .dat — attribute data
  • .map — geometry
  • .id — index

For MIF/MID:

  • .mif — geometry and structure
  • .mid — attributes

Common issues

  • Uploading only .tab without its sidecars can prevent correct loading.
  • If attributes look missing, check that .dat or .mid is included.

How to open MapInfo online

  1. Go to /mapinfo-to-geojson/.
  2. Upload the full dataset set together, or zip all files into one archive.
  3. Inspect the layer and attribute table.

Convert MapInfo to other formats

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GeoDataViewer Team
The GeoDataViewer team builds tools for GIS professionals who need quick, private, browser-based access to geospatial data. We write about formats, conversion workflows, and practical GIS techniques based on years of experience with QGIS, ArcGIS, GDAL, and web mapping libraries.