CWL File

What are CWL files and how to open them

Are you having problems opening a CWL file or are you simply curious about its contents? We're here to explain the properties of these files and provide you with software that can open or handle your CWL files.

What is a CWL file?

CWL files have multiple uses, and ClarisWorks Library is one of them. Read more about the other uses further down the page.

ClarisWorks Library

We have not yet analyzed in detail what these files contain and what they are used for. We're working on it.

How to open CWL files

Important: Different programs may use files with the CWL file extension for different purposes, so unless you are sure which format your CWL file is, you may need to try a few different programs.

While we have not verified the apps ourselves yet, our users have suggested five different CWL openers which you will find listed below.

Last updated: September 19, 2026

All known file formats using extension .CWL

While ClarisWorks Library is a popular type of CWL-file, we know of 2 different uses of the .CWL file extension. Different software may use files with the same extension for different types of data.

CorelCAD Custom Views

CorelCAD Custom Views files store saved viewpoint configurations inside CorelCAD, a computer-aided design program used for both 2D drafting and 3D modeling. They let designers define and return to particular camera orientations or projection types - such as front, back, isometric, perspective or side views - without having to manually adjust those settings each time.

CorelCAD writes these files when a user creates or modifies custom views. The program reads them back when switching between different saved views in the same drawing session or across sessions, restoring exact visual settings like angle, projection mode and visible orientation. They are auxiliary data rather than drawings themselves - CorelCAD stores the main geometry elsewhere, and these view files purely affect how the user sees that geometry.

Internally the format is an OLE2 Compound Document (Microsoft's multi-stream structured storage system). Byte signatures include the standard Compound File Header at the start (bytes D0 CF 11 E0 A1 B1 1A E1), the "Root Entry" stream name around offset 1024, and internal storage streams or entries called "Contents", "ViewInfo", "CustomViewDescriptions". View types encoded include strings such as NE ISOMETRIC, RIGHT SIDE, FRONT, PERSPECTIVE, LEFT SIDE, SE ISOMETRIC.

Various apps that use files with this extension

These apps are known to open certain types of CWL files. Remember, different programs may use CWL files for different purposes, so you may need to try out a few of them to be able to open your specific file.

Help us help others

File.org helps thousands of users every day, and we would love to hear from you if you have additional information about CWL file formats, example files, or compatible programs. Please use the links below or email us at submit@file.org to discuss further.