MIME Type Checker - Find File Extension MIME Types

MIME Type Checker Tool

The MIME Type Checker is an essential web development tool that helps you identify the correct MIME type (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions type) for any file extension. With a comprehensive database of over 80 file extensions across 9 categories, this tool makes it easy to find the proper content type for your files.

What are MIME Types?

MIME types, also known as media types or content types, are standardized identifiers that indicate the nature and format of a file. They are crucial for web browsers, servers, and applications to properly handle and display different types of content. A MIME type consists of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., image/jpeg, application/pdf).

How to Use the MIME Type Checker

Using our MIME type checker is straightforward:

1. Enter a file extension in the input field (with or without the leading dot)
2. Click on any quick-select button to instantly check common extensions
3. View the official MIME type, category, and detailed description
4. Browse our complete database organized by file categories

Supported File Categories

Image Files

Our tool supports all common image formats including:

• .jpg, .jpeg - image/jpeg (JPEG images, widely used for photographs)
• .png - image/png (Portable Network Graphics, supports transparency)
• .gif - image/gif (Graphics Interchange Format, supports animation)
• .webp - image/webp (Modern format with superior compression)
• .svg - image/svg+xml (Scalable Vector Graphics)
• .ico - image/x-icon (Icon files for favicons)

Video Files

• .mp4 - video/mp4 (Most widely supported video format)
• .webm - video/webm (Open format for web videos)
• .avi - video/x-msvideo (Audio Video Interleave)
• .mov - video/quicktime (QuickTime video format)
• .mkv - video/x-matroska (Matroska multimedia container)

Audio Files

• .mp3 - audio/mpeg (MPEG audio layer 3)
• .wav - audio/wav (Waveform Audio File Format)
• .ogg - audio/ogg (Ogg Vorbis audio)
• .m4a - audio/mp4 (MPEG-4 audio)
• .flac - audio/flac (Free Lossless Audio Codec)

Document Files

• .pdf - application/pdf (Portable Document Format)
• .doc, .docx - application/msword, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document
• .xls, .xlsx - application/vnd.ms-excel, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.spreadsheetml.sheet
• .ppt, .pptx - application/vnd.ms-powerpoint, application/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.presentationml.presentation
• .txt - text/plain (Plain text files)

Archive Files

• .zip - application/zip (ZIP archive)
• .rar - application/vnd.rar (RAR archive)
• .tar - application/x-tar (Tape archive)
• .gz - application/gzip (Gzip compressed archive)
• .7z - application/x-7z-compressed (7-Zip archive)

Web Development Files

• .html, .htm - text/html (HTML documents)
• .css - text/css (Cascading Style Sheets)
• .js - text/javascript (JavaScript files)
• .json - application/json (JSON data format)
• .xml - application/xml (XML documents)

Programming Files

• .php - application/x-httpd-php (PHP scripts)
• .py - text/x-python (Python source code)
• .java - text/x-java-source (Java source code)
• .c, .cpp - text/x-c, text/x-c++ (C/C++ source code)

Why MIME Types Matter

For Web Browsers

Browsers use MIME types to determine how to handle and display content. Without the correct MIME type, a browser might download a file instead of displaying it, or display it incorrectly.

For Web Servers

Web servers send MIME types in HTTP headers (Content-Type) to inform clients about the type of content being transmitted. Proper MIME types ensure content is handled correctly across different platforms and applications.

For Security

Correct MIME types are crucial for security. Browsers use them to prevent content type sniffing attacks where malicious files might be disguised as safe file types.

For APIs and File Uploads

When building APIs or handling file uploads, specifying correct MIME types ensures proper file validation and processing. This is essential for maintaining data integrity and security.

Common Use Cases

• Web Development - Setting correct Content-Type headers in HTTP responses
• File Upload Forms - Validating uploaded file types based on MIME
• API Development - Specifying request and response content types
• Email Attachments - Properly labeling attached files in emails
• Content Delivery - Ensuring proper file handling in CDNs
• Server Configuration - Configuring web servers like Apache or Nginx

MIME Type Format

MIME types follow a standard format: type/subtype. The main types include:

• text/ - Text documents (text/html, text/plain, text/css)
• image/ - Image files (image/jpeg, image/png, image/gif)
• video/ - Video files (video/mp4, video/webm)
• audio/ - Audio files (audio/mpeg, audio/wav)
• application/ - Application-specific files (application/pdf, application/json)