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# Skip atom ('skip')

An atom that designates unused space in the movie data file.

## Overview

Both `free` and `skip` atoms designate unused space in the movie data file. These atoms consist of only an atom header (`size` and `type` fields), followed by the appropriate number of bytes of free space. When reading a QuickTime movie, your application may safely skip these atoms. When writing or updating a movie, you may reuse the space associated with these atom types.

## Topics

### Data fields

[`Size`](/documentation/quicktime-file-format/Skip_atom/Size)

A 32-bit integer that specifies the number of bytes in the atom.

[`Type`](/documentation/quicktime-file-format/Skip_atom/Type)

A 32-bit integer that identifies the atom type.

[`Free space`](/documentation/quicktime-file-format/Skip_atom/Free_space)

Bytes of free space.


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