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ContactsLaw file types and extensions

ContactsLaw supports a wide variety of third-party document formats to provide interoperability with other applications and systems, however it also defines and produces several of its own formats. These are designed to be exchanged between different installations of ContactsLaw, viewed in the Offline Viewer application or as a mechanism to allow third-party software to read/write data in a native format.

Broadly speaking, ContactsLaw file formats are XML-based (some formats wrap the XML document inside a ZIP container) and Overtech endeavours to publish the schemas for these on a regular basis.

Extension Format​ ​Remarks​​
​​​.cl-conx XML contact format​​​ ​Format for importing/exporting contacts. May contain multiple contacts (related or unrelated).
​.cl-filx XML file format​ ​Format for importing files (including file contacts). Contains a single matter only.
​.cl-file Offline matter format​ ​Format for exporting files for use with the Offline Viewer. Contains a single matter, all file contacts, documents and journals relating to the matter.
​.cl-sms SMS message​ ​Format used by the SMS Editor. Encapsulates the message body, sender/recipient and processing information.
​.cl-smst SMS message template​ ​Format used by the SMS Editor for message templates. Identical to the message format.
​.cl-tmap ​​Template mapping information Saved alongside document templates exported from ContactsLaw. Describes the mappings between the placeholders in the document and the fields in ContactsLaw.
​.cl-psar ​PSAR metadata Saved alongside ​PAYG Payment Summary Annual Report ​files exported from ContactsLaw.​ Allows the data to be loaded back into ContactsLaw.
​.cl-frmstat Interactive form state​ ​Format used by the Interactive Forms Framework to save the current state of a form activity, so that the session can be resumed at a later point in time.
​.cl-tx Accounting transaction​ Format used by the REST API ​to represent accounting transactions.
​.cl-doctype Document type definition​ Format for importing/exporting document types (excluding wo​rkflows).
​.cl-conu ​XML contact updates ​Format for updating existing contacts.​
​.cl-tasks XML task format​ ​Format for importing/exporting tasks/appointments.