Files with the .EDI extension contain data saved as pure text in a structured form, according to one of several EDI standards, which stand for Electronic Data Interchange. The most popular EDI standards are: ENACOM, EDIFACT, IDOC (SAP), TRADACOMS, EDITRANS, ETIS, XML, xCBL, VDA, OAGIS, ANSI, CSV.

The EDI format is used for transferring different types of data between organizations. Since it is not homogenous, organizations that choose to exchange information should confirm with each other that they are using the same EDI standard. This means that there are no programs that read all types of EDI files.