MIME Type Lookup

MIME types (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) are standardized identifiers that describe the format and nature of a file or data stream. Originally designed for email attachments, MIME types are now fundamental to the web. Every HTTP response includes a Content-Type header with a MIME type that tells the browser how to interpret and render the data it receives.

A MIME type consists of two parts separated by a slash: a type and a subtype. The type indicates the general category (such as text, image, audio, video, or application), while the subtype specifies the exact format. For example, "image/png" tells the browser the content is an image in PNG format, while "application/json" indicates structured JSON data. Some MIME types also include parameters like charset (e.g. "text/html; charset=utf-8").

Web servers rely on MIME types to serve files correctly. When a server sends a CSS file with the wrong Content-Type (say "text/plain" instead of "text/css"), browsers may refuse to apply the styles. Similarly, serving JavaScript with an incorrect MIME type can cause script execution to fail in strict environments. Configuring correct MIME types in your web server (Apache, Nginx, or CDN) is essential for a functioning website.

Developers frequently encounter MIME types when building file upload features, configuring API responses, setting up download endpoints, or working with the Fetch API and XMLHttpRequest. Knowing the right MIME type for each file format helps you set correct Accept and Content-Type headers, validate uploaded files on the client side, and configure static file serving in frameworks like Express, Next.js, or Django.

This tool provides a searchable reference of the most common MIME types used in web development. It covers documents, images, audio, video, fonts, and application formats. All lookups happen instantly in your browser with no server calls, so you can use it as a quick reference anytime you need the correct content type string.