MIME Types Explained: How a Website Identifies the Content It Sends

The six points in the video

This is a silent video. The headings, explanations and labels below reproduce the information on screen.

1. 1

   Step 1: Read the type and subtype

   0:18

   A media type combines a general category with a specific subtype.

   On-screen labels: General type; Slash separator; Specific subtype.

2. 2

   Step 2: Look at a real example

   0:30

   A response such as text/html identifies HTML content.

   On-screen labels: text/html; HTML content; Browser handling.

3. 3

   Step 3: Inspect the response header

   0:42

   The server normally supplies the type in Content-Type.

   On-screen labels: Server response; Content-Type header; Actual value.

4. 4

   Step 4: Keep file and type consistent

   0:54

   The browser needs a suitable type for the content it receives.

   On-screen labels: Actual content; Suitable type; Correct handling.

5. 5

   Step 5: Check text parameters

   1:06

   A charset parameter can describe the encoding used for text.

   On-screen labels: Text response; Charset parameter; Matching encoding.

6. 6

   Step 6: Test the receiving application

   1:18

   Check that the intended browser or application opens the resource correctly.

   On-screen labels: Intended application; Expected behaviour; Useful result.

Common questions

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