MIME Type Lookup

MIME types (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) are a standard way to identify the format and nature of a file. They are used by web servers (in the Content-Type header), browsers, email clients, and operating systems to determine how to handle a file.

A MIME type consists of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash: text/html, image/png, application/json. The type indicates the general category (text, image, audio, video, application), and the subtype specifies the exact format.

Why MIME types matter:

• Web servers must send the correct Content-Type header, or browsers may refuse to load resources (e.g., application/wasm for WebAssembly).
• File uploads rely on MIME type validation to prevent malicious files.
• API responses use application/json to signal JSON data.
• SVG files need image/svg+xml —the wrong type can break rendering or security policies.

This lookup table covers 130+ of the most commonly encountered MIME types across web development, system administration, and content delivery.

See also: Base64 Encode/Decode · URL Encode/Decode · cURL →Fetch