application/json is a application media type commonly associated with .json, .map extensions.
Quick facts
What is application/json
application/json is one of the application media types used on the internet, with charset UTF-8, and it is safe to compress for transport. When serving this content over HTTP, set the Content-Type header in the response, for example:
Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8
Related entities: associated extensions include .json、.map, and is delivered over HTTP via the Content-Type header, commonly with GET, POST, PUT and PATCH requests.
Related formats:
Relation chain
Related extensions
Related MIME types
Used with
Related headers
Related methods
Frequently asked questions
application/json is a application media type used to identify a content format; servers announce it to clients with the Content-Type header.
Extensions such as .json, .map are associated with this MIME type.
Send Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8 in the HTTP response.
Sources & standards
Updated 2026-08-18
Explore this reference