Filee
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Windows 10/11Your presetsJSON output

The filee command line

Convert files from Command Prompt, PowerShell or your own scripts with the same engines and presets as the app, or leave a folder converting whatever lands in it. Everything stays on your PC.

Download for Windows See the commands 
D:\Photos> filee convert *.heic --to jpg
ok    IMG_0412.heic -> IMG_0412.jpg
ok    IMG_0413.heic -> IMG_0413.jpg
ok    IMG_0414.heic -> IMG_0414.jpg
Converted 3 of 3 file(s).

Set up the filee command

  1. 1

    Keep it ticked in Setup

    On the options page of the Filee installer, leave Add the "filee" command to PATH ticked (it is on by default). Already installed? Run the latest installer again.

  2. 2

    Open a new terminal

    Open a new Command Prompt, PowerShell or Windows Terminal window (one that was already open doesn't see the new PATH) and run filee version.

  3. 3

    Portable or without PATH

    Everything is in the Filee folder: run filee-cli.exe there, or add its cli folder to PATH yourself. The app doesn't need to be running.

Quick start

Pass file names, wildcards like *.heic or whole folders. Results are saved next to the originals unless you add -o.

Commands

filee convert

filee convert <files or folders...> (--to <format> | --preset <preset>) [options]

Converts files, wildcards (*.heic) and folders. A folder converts the files in it that Filee knows; add -r for its sub folders. Give either a target format or one of your presets.

Options

-t, --to <format>Target format by id or extension: jpg, png, webp, pdf, docx, hwpx, mp4, mp3… (see filee formats)
-p, --preset <preset>A preset from the app, by id or by name (see filee presets)
-o, --output <folder>Save there instead of next to the sources
-r, --recursiveInclude sub folders
-q, --quality <1-100>Image quality for JPG, WebP, AVIF and other lossy formats
--overwriteReplace existing output files (by default a number is added to the new name)
--skipLeave existing output files alone
--jsonPrint the result as one JSON document, for scripts
--quietPrint nothing but errors

filee watch

filee watch <folder> (--to <format> | --preset <preset>) [options]

Converts every file that lands in the folder until you press Ctrl+C. Converted files go to a converted folder inside it unless you add -o.

Options

-t, --to <format>Target format
-p, --preset <preset>A preset from the app, by id or by name
-o, --output <folder>Where converted files go (default: <folder>\converted)
-r, --recursiveAlso watch sub folders
--move-originalsMove each converted source to <folder>\originals, and convert the files already waiting there at start
--settle <seconds>How long a file must stay unchanged before it is converted (default 2)
--quietPrint nothing but errors

filee formats

filee formats [<format>]

Lists every format with its id and extensions, or what one format converts to, including what an optional engine would add.

filee presets

filee presets

Lists the built-in presets and the ones you made in the app, with their id, name and target format.

filee help

filee help [<command>]
filee version

Shows how to use every command or one of them, and the installed version.

Watch folders

Let a folder convert whatever you put in it: downloads, scans, exports from other apps.

  • Files are converted once they are complete, no longer growing and not open in another program, so downloads and long copies are safe.
  • Temporary and hidden files (.crdownload, .part, .tmp, ~$ files) and formats Filee doesn't know are ignored.
  • Converted files go to a converted folder inside the watched folder, or wherever -o points.
  • With --move-originals each converted source moves to originals: the folder works like an inbox, and files already waiting there are converted at start.

Or in the app, in the background

The Watch folders page in Filee does the same without a terminal: add folders, pick a preset for each, and they are converted while Filee runs in the tray.

D:\Inbox> filee watch . --to pdf --move-originals
Watching D:\Inbox → PDF, saving to D:\Inbox\converted. Press Ctrl+C to stop.
ok    scan-0412.jpg -> converted\scan-0412.pdf

Use it in scripts

--json prints one JSON document with every file's result, and the exit code tells your script how it went.

--json

{
  "preset": "WEBP",
  "target": "webp",
  "converted": 2,
  "skipped": 0,
  "failed": 1,
  "files": [
    {
      "source": "D:\\Exports\\cover.png",
      "state": "done",
      "outputs": [ "D:\\Exports\\cover.webp" ]
    },
    {
      "source": "D:\\Exports\\broken.png",
      "state": "failed",
      "outputs": [],
      "error": "The engine reported an error (improper image header)"
    }
  ]
}

Exit codes

0Nothing failed
1Some files failed (the others were converted)
2Wrong arguments, an unknown format or preset, or a missing input
3Nothing to convert

PowerShell example

$result = filee convert D:\Exports\*.png --to webp --json | Out-String | ConvertFrom-Json
if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 1) {
  $result.files | Where-Object state -eq 'failed' | ForEach-Object { "$($_.source): $($_.error)" }
}

Good to know

  • Same engines and presets as the app: a preset you make or change in Filee works with --preset right away, by id or by name.
  • Optional engines (FFmpeg, LibreOffice…) are installed in the app under Settings → Engines. filee formats <format> shows which conversions need one.
  • Wildcards are expanded by filee itself, so *.heic works in Command Prompt as well as in PowerShell. Put paths with spaces in quotes.
  • Nothing is uploaded and no internet is needed: files are converted on your PC, as in the app.
  • Messages are in English, so scripts and logs read the same on every PC.

Get Filee with the filee command

The command line comes with Filee for Windows 10/11: free, open source and offline.

Download for Windows

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