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.\" generated with Ronn-NG/v0.9.1
.\" http://github.com/apjanke/ronn-ng/tree/0.9.1
.TH "AGE\-INSPECT" "1" "December 2025" ""
.SH "NAME"
\fBage\-inspect\fR \- inspect age(1) encrypted files
.SH "SYNOPSIS"
\fBage\-inspect\fR [\fB\-\-json\fR] [\fIINPUT\fR]
.SH "DESCRIPTION"
\fBage\-inspect\fR reads an age(1) encrypted file from \fIINPUT\fR (or standard input) and displays metadata about it without decrypting\.
.P
This includes the recipient types, whether it uses post\-quantum encryption, and a size breakdown of the file components\.
.SH "OPTIONS"
.TP
\fB\-\-json\fR
Output machine\-readable JSON instead of human\-readable text\.
.TP
\fB\-\-version\fR
Print the version and exit\.
.SH "JSON FORMAT"
When \fB\-\-json\fR is specified, the output is a JSON object with these fields:
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBversion\fR: The age format version (e\.g\., \fB"age\-encryption\.org/v1"\fR)\.
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBpostquantum\fR: Whether the file uses post\-quantum encryption: \fB"yes"\fR, \fB"no"\fR, or \fB"unknown"\fR\.
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBarmor\fR: Boolean indicating whether the file is ASCII\-armored\.
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBstanza_types\fR: Array of recipient stanza type strings (e\.g\., \fB["X25519"]\fR or \fB["mlkem768x25519"]\fR)\.
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBsizes\fR: Object containing size information in bytes:
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBheader\fR: Size of the age header\.
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBarmor\fR: Armor encoding overhead (0 if not armored)\.
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBoverhead\fR: Stream encryption overhead\.
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBmin_payload\fR, \fBmax_payload\fR: Payload size bounds (currently always matching)\.
.IP "\[ci]" 4
\fBmin_padding\fR, \fBmax_padding\fR: Padding size bounds (currently always 0)\.
.IP "" 0
.IP
The fields add up to the total size of the file\.
.IP "" 0
.SH "EXAMPLES"
Inspect an encrypted file:
.IP "" 4
.nf
$ age\-inspect secrets\.age
secrets\.age is an age file, version "age\-encryption\.org/v1"\.
This file is encrypted to the following recipient types:
\- "mlkem768x25519"
This file uses post\-quantum encryption\.
Size breakdown (assuming it decrypts successfully):
Header 1627 bytes
Encryption overhead 32 bytes
Payload 42 bytes
\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-
Total 1701 bytes
Tip: for machine\-readable output, use \-\-json\.
.fi
.IP "" 0
.P
Get JSON output for scripting:
.IP "" 4
.nf
$ age\-inspect \-\-json secrets\.age
{
"version": "age\-encryption\.org/v1",
"postquantum": "yes",
"armor": false,
"stanza_types": [
"mlkem768x25519"
],
"sizes": {
"header": 1627,
"armor": 0,
"overhead": 32,
"min_payload": 42,
"max_payload": 42,
"min_padding": 0,
"max_padding": 0
}
}
.fi
.IP "" 0
.SH "SEE ALSO"
age(1), age\-keygen(1)
.SH "AUTHORS"
Filippo Valsorda \fIage@filippo\.io\fR
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