What is MIME type "application/pdf"?
What is a MIME Type?
A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.
MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.
MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.
About application/pdf
Description
PDF (Portable Document Format)
File format developed by Adobe to present documents independent of software, hardware, and operating systems.
Category
Details
Usage Examples
HTTP Header
When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:
Content-Type: application/pdf
HTML
In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:
<a href="file.pdf" type="application/pdf">Download file</a>
Browser Compatibility
Most modern browsers support the application/pdf MIME type and will open it in the built-in PDF viewer or download it for viewing with a PDF reader.
Supported Browsers
- Google Chrome
- Mozilla Firefox
- Safari
- Microsoft Edge
- Opera
Handling
Most modern browsers have built-in PDF viewers that will display the PDF inline. Some may still prompt for download depending on settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related MIME Types
Official reference for the application/pdf MIME type
https://mime-type.com/application/pdf