Magika is an AI-powered file content type detection tool that leverages deep learning for fast and accurate identification of file types.
Source: per README View on GitHub →Magika is gaining attention due to its high accuracy in file type detection, its near-instantaneous inference time, and its integration with major platforms like Google's services and VirusTotal. The project's unique technical choice of using a lightweight model for fast detection is particularly notable.
Source: Synthesis of README and project traitsAchieves an average of ~99% accuracy on a dataset of ~100M files across 200+ content types, outperforming existing approaches, especially on textual content types.
Source: per READMEInference time is about 5ms per file after the model is loaded, even on a single CPU, with near-constant inference time independent of file size.
Source: per READMECan process thousands of files at once and supports recursive directory scanning, making it suitable for large-scale environments.
Source: per READMEUtilizes a per-content-type threshold system to determine the reliability of predictions, allowing for control over the tolerance to errors.
Source: per READMEThe architecture of Magika is modular, with separate components for the CLI, Python API, and bindings for other languages. It employs a custom deep learning model for file type detection, which is optimized for speed and accuracy. The project uses continuous integration and deployment workflows, and includes security scanning and documentation generation.
Source: Code tree + dependency filesCenter: project; inner ring: core feature modules; outer ring: key dependencies. Auto-generated from core_features and tech_stack.key_deps.
Not enough informationMagika is suitable for security and content policy scanning in large organizations, such as Google, where it is used to process hundreds of billions of samples weekly. It can also be used in any scenario requiring fast and accurate file type detection, such as file servers, content management systems, or security tools.
Source: READMEpython-v1.0.2 (2026-02-27): Marked python 3.14 as supported, removed direct dependency on numpy, and removed dependency on python-dotenv. cli/v1.1.0 (2026-04-24): Latest CLI release.
Source: GitHub ReleasesMagika is a promising open-source project for organizations requiring fast and accurate file type detection. Its high accuracy, speed, and scalability make it a valuable tool for security and content policy scanning. It is particularly suitable for teams working on large-scale file processing and security applications.