What Is a File Extension and MIME Type?

A Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension, or MIME type, is an internet standard that describes the contents of a variety of files. MIME types identify internet files based on their nature and format. This cataloging helps the browser open the file with the appropriate extension or plugin. While the term "MIME" includes the word “mail,” it is used for web pages as well. 

MIME types contain two parts: a type and a sub-type.

• The type describes the categorization of MIME types that are linked to each other.
• In contrast, a subtype is unique to a specific file type that is part of the "type."

Here is the MIME type for HTML:

text/html

MIME types are defined in HTML by the type attribute on links, objects, and script and style tags.

Distinguishing Between MIME Types

What follows is a list of most of the MIME types, with their file extensions and the application that uses them. Many computers use file extensions to help the computer identify the file type. So, if you have a file with an odd extension on your website, you can look up the MIME type in this list.

Some types are prefixed with X and some are prefixed with VND. These prefixes, respectively, refer to sub-types not listed with the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority or values specific to a vendor. 

List of MIME Types: Applications

List of MIME Types: Sound Files

List of MIME Types: Image Files

List of MIME Types: Mail Message Files

List of MIME Types: Text Files

List of MIME Types: Video Files

List of MIME Types: Virtual World Files