File Format

LottieFiles supports two file formats for working with Lottie animations: the original Lottie JSON format and the modern dotLottie (.lottie) container format.

Lottie JSON

Lottie JSON is the original format invented by Hernan Torrisi via his Bodymovin plugin for Adobe After Effects. It is a plain JSON file that describes an animation's elements and motion, with support for image assets and expressions.

• Extension: .json

• MIME type: application/json

• Strengths: Universal support, human-readable, easy to inspect

The Lottie JSON format is supported by virtually every Lottie player and tool, making it the most portable choice.

dotLottie

dotLottie (.lottie) is a modern container format that packages one or more Lottie JSON animations along with their assets, themes, and state machines into a single compressed file. It is a ZIP archive identified by the .lottie file extension.

• Extension: .lottie

• MIME type: application/zip+dotlottie

• Strengths: Smaller file size, multi-animation support, theming, interactivity

Format Comparison

When to Use Each Format

Use Lottie JSON when:

• You need maximum player compatibility

• You are working with a tool or platform that doesn't yet support dotLottie

• You want to inspect or edit the animation file directly

Use dotLottie when:

• You want smaller file sizes (especially with image assets)

• You need to bundle multiple animations in one file

• You want to use theming or state machine interactivity

• You are using a dotLottie-compatible player

Converting Between Formats

You can convert Lottie JSON files to dotLottie using:

• The dotlottie-js SDK

• The LottieFiles platform

Learn More

• dotLottie Format — Overview of the .lottie container

• Lottie JSON Format — Overview of the JSON format