What was the original GIF version called?

The original GIF version was called 87a. CompuServe introduced the Graphics Interchange Format on June 15, 1987, and the first specification was identified as Graphics Interchange Format, Version 87a.

The label appears in the first six bytes of a GIF file as the signature “GIF87a.” This header helps software recognize the format and its version. The original version already supported multiple images in one stream, a capability that later helped GIF become an animation format.

CompuServe released the enhanced GIF89a specification in 1989. GIF89a added features including animation timing, transparent background colors, application-specific metadata, and other extension blocks. Because those additions made animation more practical, many animated GIFs use the GIF89a header rather than GIF87a.

A common mix-up is choosing 89a because it is the version most closely associated with modern animated GIF behavior. However, the question asks for the original version, so 87a is the precise answer. The suffix is a version identifier, not a file extension: the usual extension remains .gif.