2 file types use the .story file extension.

What is an STORY file?

Document created by Storyist, a story writing tool created for novelists and screenwriters; saves written text as well as layout information, notes, and chapter outline information; helps authors track the plot, characters, and setting information along with the script.

Category: Text Files

Articulate Storyline 360 Project

A STORY file is a project created by Articulate Storyline 360, an e-learning authoring tool used to develop interactive training courses and presentations. It is a Zip-compressed archive that contains all the elements of a course, including slides, animations, text, audio, video, quizzes, and user interactions. Instructional designers, corporate trainers, and educators use the STORY format to build, edit, and customize learning courses.

Users typically work with STORY files during the course development phase, making changes before exporting the final product. They then convert them to various formats, such as HTML5 , SCORM, or xAPI, for use in learning management systems (LMS), such as Blackboard or Moodle.

For example, a corporate training specialist at a large company might use Articulate Storyline 360 to design an employee onboarding course. The STORY file would contain slides with interactive quizzes, branching scenarios, and embedded videos to engage new hires and teach company policies. While this format is proprietary to Articulate Storyline, the specialist could export the content to HTML5 and publish it on Blackboard.

NOTE: SCORM is a standardized format for LMS that tracks learner progress and interactions. Also, xAPI (Tin Can API) is a more advanced LMS format that records detailed learning experiences beyond traditional course structures.

You can open STORY files with Articulate Storyline 360 by selecting File → Open . Only the Windows version of the software (available within the Articulate 360 suite) supports STORY files.

Since STORY files are Zip-compressed, you can open them with a compression utility, such as Microsoft File Explorer (bundled with Windows), Apple Archive Utility (bundled with macOS), and Corel WinZip (Windows). You can then extract the contents in the file, which include .XML files and .JPG and .PNG image assets.

However, you may need to change the .story file extension to .zip for the utility to recognize it. Also, opening the file as a Zip archive will not appear the same as opening it with Articulate Storyline 360.

Programs that open STORY files

Updated: March 12, 2025