An ICA file is an Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) file used by Citrix application servers. It contains configuration information for connecting to different servers and may link to a published application or to a server desktop environment. ICA files can be created with the ICA File Creator program or a basic text editor.

ICA files allow users to connect to remote virtual desktops so the user's computer does not need the applications to be installed locally. This mechanism provides advantages for system administration and also allows users to access critical business applications, or "enterprise applications," from remote locations. NOTE: You can double-click an ICA file to open the remote virtual application or desktop environment referenced by the file. But, note that you must have a Citrix client installed in order for the file to open properly. A common client is the Citrix Receiver, a desktop application and Web browser plug-in that runs the hosted applications and desktops within a Web browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox. Citrix Receiver replaced the former "Citrix Online Plug-in" for Mac and Windows.