MIME type lookup

Example

json

.json → application/json

JSON exchanged over a network normally uses UTF-8. A lookup does not validate file contents.

Technical details & limits

Media types use type/subtype with optional parameters such as charset. Extensions and types are not one-to-one. Servers should consider file contents, application rules and response context. This common-types table neither inspects file bytes nor reproduces the full IANA registry.

About this tool

Look up common MIME mappings by extension or media type when setting Content-Type, serving static assets or designing upload allowlists. The local table works offline after loading.

Use cases

• Configure `Content-Type` in Nginx or a CDN.
• Match extension whitelists against real MIME types for uploads.
• Look up what an `application/vnd.*` format actually is.

How to use

1. Type a file extension or a type keyword into the search box.
2. You can narrow by top-level type first, such as image or application.
3. The table filters live and the line below shows how many rows matched.

Notes

This is a common-types reference. Use IANA for complete registration information.

FAQ

Which Content-Type values should I use for JSON and HTML?

JSON commonly uses application/json, while HTML uses text/html, with character-encoding parameters added where appropriate. These are 2 distinct media types; UTF-8 describes an encoding rather than replacing either type. Check the actual response body before choosing a header. A filename extension alone is insufficient to establish what a server should send, especially when generated output or uploaded content differs from what the filename appears to promise.

Can a MIME type lookup detect a file's real format?

This MIME lookup provides extension and media-type references, but does not inspect file bytes to identify a format. A single extension can have more than 1 associated type, and 1 type can appear under several extensions. Validate the actual content and permitted business formats when handling uploads. The table is a practical reference for common entries rather than proof that a named file contains safe or correctly typed data.

What does charset=UTF-8 mean in a Content-Type header?

The charset parameter specifies character encoding, while UTF-8 itself is not a media type. For example, text/html and text/plain are 2 different content types that can both use UTF-8. A receiver needs to interpret the type and encoding together. Check both when troubleshooting garbled text, because a decoding mismatch can look like damaged content even when the transmitted bytes were received exactly as the sender produced them.

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