A native file is a document in its original application format, preserving all metadata, formatting, and functionality as created by its source application. Unlike converted formats such as TIFF images or PDF renditions commonly used in productions, native files retain interactive elements like formulas, tracked changes, and embedded objects.
What is a native file?
A native file is any electronic document stored in the format of the application that created it. A Word document (.docx), an Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx), a PowerPoint presentation (.pptx), and an Outlook email (.msg) are all examples of native files. The defining characteristic is that the file retains every feature of the originating application: formulas, pivot tables, tracked changes, comments, hyperlinks, and embedded objects all remain intact and functional.
In litigation, whether to produce documents in native format or as static images has been a recurring source of disputes. Static formats like TIFF and PDF flatten a document into a non-interactive image, which can obscure spreadsheet formulas, remove hyperlinks, and strip metadata. Courts have increasingly recognized that native production may be required for file types where static conversion would destroy material information.
"If a request does not specify a form for producing electronically stored information, a party must produce it in a form or forms in which it is ordinarily maintained or in a reasonably usable form or forms."-- Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, Rule 34(b)(2)(E)(ii)
Key facts about native files
- FRCP Rule 34(b)(2)(E)(ii) requires production in a "reasonably usable form," which courts have interpreted to include native format for complex file types like spreadsheets and databases.
- Native files preserve metadata fields such as author, creation date, last modified date, and revision history that static images discard.
- Spreadsheets produced as TIFF or PDF images lose formulas, hidden columns, and linked worksheets, which can be materially relevant to the case.
- The Sedona Conference recommends negotiating production format early in the meet-and-confer process under FRCP Rule 26(f) to avoid disputes over native versus static production.
Native files in Hintyr
Hintyr preserves native files throughout the entire review process. When you upload files, each document is stored in its original format alongside any converted renditions used for viewing. Hintyr supports a wide range of native formats including PDFs, images, emails, spreadsheets, audio, and video, as detailed in the supported file types reference.
The document viewer renders each format with a specialized viewer tailored to that file type, so spreadsheets display with their columns and formulas, emails render with headers and attachments, and media files play in the built-in player. During export, you can choose to produce files in native format or convert them to PDF, depending on your production requirements.