An AET file is most often an After Effects template file, functioning as a reusable starter setup similar to an AEP but meant to be opened repeatedly without overwriting the original, so After Effects treats it like a master you open and then save as a new project, containing the full “recipe” for the animation—comps, timelines, layer stacks, keyframes, effects, expressions, cameras/lights, render settings, and organizational elements like folders and interpretations.
An AET generally doesn’t embed media, instead storing references or paths to external audio, images, and video, which is why template sets are bundled as ZIPs with Footage/assets folders and why After Effects reports missing items if things were not packaged, and because AETs might rely on certain fonts or plugins, opening them elsewhere can trigger missing-effect notices until everything is installed, and since file extensions aren’t exclusive, checking “Opens with” or the file’s source location is the best way to confirm the program behind it and what extra files should accompany it.
An AEP file is the standard working file for After Effects, holding all your comps, effects, and imported media, whereas an AET is intended as a template, meaning you reopen an AEP to keep editing but open an AET to make a new project so you don’t overwrite the template.
That’s why AETs are commonly chosen for packaged motion-graphics templates such as intros, lower-thirds, and slideshows: the creator keeps the AET as the master and each time a new video is needed you open it, immediately Save As a new project (becoming your own AEP), then swap text, colors, logos, and media, and although both formats can store the same project elements—comps, layers, keyframes, effects, expressions, cameras/lights, and settings—and both usually reference external footage, the AET is built to protect the master for repeatable work while the AEP serves as the editable file you keep updating.
An AET file stores the structural and behavioral setup of an After Effects project without always embedding media, including compositions with their resolution, frame rate, duration, and nesting, alongside the full timeline build of layers like text, shapes, solids, adjustment layers, precomps, and placeholders, each with properties such as position, scale, rotation, opacity, masks, mattes, blending modes, and parenting, plus animation data like keyframes, easing, markers, and any expressions that automate movement.
Beyond that, the template includes your effects and their parameters, from color correction and blurs to glows, distortions, and transitions, as well as any 3D configuration with cameras, lighting, and 3D layer options plus render/preview settings, and it also preserves project organization like folders, label colors, and interpretation settings, though it usually doesn’t pack raw media, audio, fonts, or plugins—only file paths—so opening it elsewhere may cause missing-footage or missing-plugin alerts until dependencies are restored If you have any type of concerns concerning where and exactly how to use AET file compatibility, you can call us at our site. .
