FB2 Format Guide
FictionBook 2.0 - Convert FB2 e-books to multiple formats online
Available Conversions
Convert FB2 to AsciiDoc for technical documentation and O'Reilly publishing
Convert FB2 to AsciiDoc format for technical books and documentation systems
Convert FB2 to Amazon Kindle Format 8 for modern Kindle devices
Encode FB2 content to BASE64 for API transmission and data embedding
Convert FB2 to BBCode for forums, bulletin boards, and community sites
Extract content from FB2 to CSV for data analysis and spreadsheets
Convert FB2 to legacy Microsoft Word DOC format for older Office versions
Convert FB2 to DocBook XML for technical documentation and publishing
Convert FB2 to Microsoft Word for editing, collaboration, and business use
Convert FB2 to EPUB for universal e-reader compatibility worldwide
Convert FB2 to modern EPUB3 with HTML5 and enhanced features
Encode FB2 to hexadecimal for debugging and binary analysis
Convert FB2 to HTML for web publishing, blogs, and online reading
Extract FB2 metadata to INI configuration format
Convert FB2 structure to JSON for APIs and JavaScript applications
Convert FB2 to LaTeX for academic papers and professional typesetting
Extract FB2 content to LOG format for debugging and analysis
Convert FB2 to Markdown for GitHub, documentation, and note-taking apps
Convert FB2 to Mobipocket for Kindle devices and apps
Convert FB2 to OpenDocument for LibreOffice and OpenOffice editing
Convert FB2 to Emacs Org-mode for productivity and note-taking
Convert FB2 to PDF for universal viewing, printing, and archiving
Convert FB2 to PowerPoint for presentations and lectures
Extract FB2 data to Java Properties for i18n and configuration
Convert FB2 to reStructuredText for Sphinx and Python docs
Convert FB2 to Rich Text Format for universal word processor support
Extract FB2 content to SQL for database storage and digital libraries
Convert FB2 to SVG for vector graphics and scalable text rendering
Convert FB2 to StarOffice Writer format for legacy compatibility
Convert FB2 to TeX for academic publishing and typesetting
Extract plain text from FB2 removing all formatting
Convert FB2 to Textile markup for Redmine and CMS systems
Convert FB2 metadata to TOML for Rust, Python, and config files
Extract FB2 content to TSV for spreadsheets and data analysis
Convert FB2 to plain text TXT file for universal compatibility
Convert FB2 to MediaWiki format for Wikipedia and knowledge bases
Extract FB2 data to Excel for analysis, catalogs, and reporting
Convert FB2 to generic XML for data interchange and enterprise systems
Convert FB2 to YAML for static site generators and configuration
Convert FB2 to YML for Docker Compose, GitHub Actions, and DevOps
About FB2 Format
FB2 (FictionBook 2.0) is an XML-based e-book format developed in Russia that has become the dominant standard for digital books in Russian-speaking countries and the CIS region. Created by Dmitry Gribov in 2004, FB2 was designed specifically for fiction books, providing rich semantic markup for book structure while remaining human-readable and easy to process programmatically.
History of FB2
The FictionBook format originated from the Russian online library community in the early 2000s. The first version (FB1) was released around 2002, but FB2 (released in 2004) became the widely adopted standard. The format was created to address the needs of the growing Russian e-book community, which needed a format that could properly handle Cyrillic text, support rich metadata, and be easily validated and processed. The format's open specification and XML foundation made it easy to create converters and readers, leading to rapid adoption across Russian e-book libraries like Flibusta, lib.rus.ec, and thousands of others.
Technical Structure
An FB2 file is a well-formed XML document with a strict schema. It consists of several main sections: the <description> element contains extensive metadata including title, author(s), genre, annotation, document history, and publisher information. The <body> element contains the actual book content organized into sections with titles, paragraphs, poems, citations, and other semantic elements. Images are embedded as Base64-encoded binary data in the <binary> section. The format supports footnotes, tables, epigraphs, and various inline formatting. Unlike EPUB, FB2 stores all content in a single XML file without external dependencies, making it easy to validate, parse, and convert.
Common Applications
FB2 dominates the Russian e-book market and is the primary format for online libraries in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and other CIS countries. It's the native format for popular e-reader devices like PocketBook (which has extensive FB2 support), ONYX BOOX, and many others sold in the region. The format is used by major Russian e-book stores including LitRes (Russia's largest legal e-book retailer), Bookmate, and MyBook. Many Russian authors publish directly in FB2, and the format is essential for accessing the vast archives of Russian literature available online. FB2 readers are available for all platforms, including FBReader, CoolReader, Moon+ Reader, and dozens of others.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Advantages
- Rich Metadata: Extensive support for author, genre, series info
- Pure XML: Human-readable and easy to validate
- Single File: No archive structure, everything in one XML
- Cyrillic Support: Excellent handling of Russian text
- Semantic Markup: Proper structure for poems, quotes, notes
- Easy Conversion: XML basis makes conversion straightforward
- Widespread Support: Dominant format in CIS e-readers
- Open Format: Free specification, no licensing fees
- Self-Contained: Images embedded as Base64
- Schema Validation: Can verify file correctness automatically
Disadvantages
- Limited Global Support: Primarily used in Russian-speaking world
- No Kindle Support: Amazon devices require conversion
- No DRM: Format has no built-in copy protection
- Large File Size: Base64 images increase file size 33%
- Limited Styling: Less CSS flexibility than EPUB
- No Audio/Video: Cannot embed multimedia content
- Fixed Layout Issues: Not suitable for complex layouts
- Outdated Spec: No major updates since 2009
Why Convert FB2 Files?
- Global Compatibility: Convert to EPUB for international e-readers and apps
- Kindle Reading: Convert to MOBI or AZW3 for Amazon Kindle devices
- Universal Viewing: Convert to PDF for any device and printing
- Content Editing: Convert to DOCX or ODT to edit in word processors
- Web Publishing: Convert to HTML for online reading and sharing
- Documentation: Convert to Markdown, AsciiDoc, or RST for technical docs
- Academic Use: Convert to LaTeX for journals and academic papers
- Data Processing: Convert to JSON, XML, or CSV for cataloging systems
- Archiving: Convert to plain text for long-term preservation
- Presentations: Convert to PPTX for book reviews and literary analysis
Software That Opens FB2 Files
FBReader
Cross-platform e-book reader with native FB2 support. Free and open-source.
Calibre
Complete e-book management with FB2 import, export, and conversion.
CoolReader
Feature-rich reader with excellent FB2 support and customization.
PocketBook E-readers
Hardware e-readers with native FB2 support and cloud sync.
Moon+ Reader
Popular Android e-book reader with FB2 support and TTS.
AlReader
Android reader optimized for Russian e-books and FB2 format.
STDU Viewer
Windows document viewer supporting FB2 and many other formats.
fb2edit
Dedicated FB2 editor for creating and modifying FictionBook files.