A MIME type lookup helps you find the correct content-type identifier for any file format. MIME types tell browsers and servers how to handle files — they appear in HTTP Content-Type headers, file upload validation, and server configurations. Search by file extension (.pdf, .json) or MIME type name (application/pdf).
Search MIME Types
Results
| Extension | MIME Type |
|---|
How to Use the MIME Type Lookup
MIME types (also called media types or content types) are essential for correct HTTP communication. Every file you serve from a web server should have the correct Content-Type header. Without it, browsers may display files incorrectly, security scanners may flag mismatches, and CDN caches may serve wrong content. This free MIME type lookup database covers 200+ common file types with descriptions and use cases.
Step 1: Search by Extension or Type
Type a file extension (like .pdf or pdf) or a MIME type (like application/pdf) in the search box. Results update as you type. You can also search by description — for example, "spreadsheet" will show Excel and CSV types.
Step 2: Filter by Category
Use the category filter buttons to browse MIME types by type: Documents (PDF, Word, Excel), Images (JPEG, PNG, WebP, SVG), Audio (MP3, WAV, OGG), Video (MP4, WebM, AVI), Code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript), Data (JSON, XML, CSV), Archives (ZIP, TAR, GZIP), and Fonts (WOFF, TTF). This is useful when you want to see all supported types in a category.
Step 3: Copy the MIME Type String
Click any row to see full details in the detail panel, then click "Copy" to copy the MIME type string to your clipboard. Paste it directly into your nginx config, Express.js response headers, S3 upload metadata, or API validation code. The MIME type is formatted correctly for use in HTTP headers.
Common MIME Types Reference
The most commonly needed MIME types: application/json for API responses, application/pdf for PDFs, image/svg+xml for SVG graphics, font/woff2 for modern web fonts, application/x-www-form-urlencoded for HTML form submissions, and multipart/form-data for file uploads.
FAQ
Is this MIME type lookup free?
Yes, completely free. Search any file extension or MIME type — no signup, no account required.
What is a MIME type?
MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) types are standardized identifiers that describe the format of a file or data stream. Browsers use MIME types to determine how to handle files — whether to display, download, or open them with a plugin. They appear in HTTP headers as 'Content-Type: text/html' and follow the format 'type/subtype'.
How do I set the correct Content-Type header?
In web servers like nginx or Apache, configure MIME types in the server config. In Express.js, use res.type('.pdf') or res.set('Content-Type', 'application/pdf'). In S3 or CDN uploads, set the Content-Type metadata field. Most web frameworks auto-detect MIME types from file extensions.
What happens if I use the wrong MIME type?
The wrong MIME type causes browsers to mishandle files: serving JavaScript as text/plain prevents execution; serving an image as application/octet-stream forces download instead of display; serving HTML without text/html breaks page rendering. CORS preflight requests also validate Content-Type headers.
What is 'application/octet-stream'?
application/octet-stream is the generic binary MIME type used when the actual file type is unknown or the server wants to force a download. Browsers will prompt users to download the file rather than display it. If you know the specific file type, use the appropriate MIME type instead.
What's the difference between text/plain and text/html?
text/plain causes browsers to display file content as raw text without interpreting HTML tags. text/html tells browsers to parse and render the content as HTML. Serving user-uploaded HTML as text/plain is a common security practice to prevent XSS attacks from stored HTML content.
Are MIME types case-sensitive?
MIME types are officially case-insensitive (per RFC 2045), but lowercase is the de facto standard. The type and subtype (e.g., 'text' and 'html' in 'text/html') are both case-insensitive, but parameters like charset values may be case-sensitive depending on the standard.