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MIME Type Lookup

Type a file extension such as png, a media type such as application/pdf, or a word such as font. The list shows the type to send in a Content-Type header and whether it is in the official registry.

Checked against the IANA media type registry on 18 October 2026. Types marked as in common use are widely sent but not registered.

Worked examples

Extension

png

image/png

PNG images are registered.

Type

application/json

json

JSON uses a single extension.

Not registered

tar

application/x-tar

Widely used, but absent from the registry.

About MIME Type Lookup

A MIME type, also called a media type, is the label a server sends in the Content-Type header to say what a response contains. Browsers use it to decide whether to show an image, run a script, play a video or offer a download, so a wrong type can make a page fail in ways that are hard to spot. The common ones are easy to remember, but the long names for office documents and newer formats are not.

This lookup lists about ninety common extensions. Search by extension to get the type to send, search by a type to see which extensions use it, or search a word such as font or video to browse a group. Each row says whether the type appears in the official registry kept by IANA. A few types in everyday use, such as the ones for tar and 7-Zip archives, were never registered, and the list says so rather than pretending otherwise. The list was checked against the registry on 18 October 2026.

How to use MIME Type Lookup

  1. Type an extension such as png, a media type such as application/pdf, or a word such as font.
  2. Read the matching rows. Exact matches come first.
  3. Copy the type into your server configuration or header.
  4. Check the last column to see whether the type is registered.

Common uses

  • Setting Content-Type for a download endpoint
  • Configuring a web server or object store for a new file format
  • Writing an accept list for file uploads
  • Finding out what an unfamiliar extension is

Frequently asked questions

What is the MIME type of a JavaScript file?

text/javascript is the current standard name. The older application/javascript and application/x-javascript are no longer preferred.

What should I send if I do not know the type?

application/octet-stream tells the client it is arbitrary binary data, and most browsers will offer to save it rather than show it.

Should I add a charset?

For text types, yes. text/html; charset=utf-8 avoids guesswork. JSON is always UTF-8 and needs no charset.

What does not registered mean?

The type is widely used but not in the IANA registry. It is still fine to send, and clients generally understand it, though a registered type is safer for new work.

Why are there two extensions for one type?

Many formats have alternative spellings, such as jpg and jpeg or html and htm. They share one media type, and the row lists them together.

Six tools that go with this one

HTTP Status Codes ReferenceSearch the common HTTP status codes, with a plain explanation of each and when to use it.HTTP Header ParserBreak raw HTTP headers into a readable list, with cache, cookie and type details.Base64 Image ViewerPaste Base64 or a data address and see the picture, its type and its size.SVG to Data URI ConverterTurn SVG code into a CSS-ready data URI, as encoded text or Base64.Common Ports LookupLook up which service uses a network port, or which port a service uses, from a checked list of about a hundred.Redirect Rules GeneratorMake redirect rules for Apache and nginx from a list of old and new addresses.