Media type · application/pdf
application/pdf
application/pdf is the media type for PDF documents.
Key facts
| Type | application/pdf |
|---|---|
| Extensions | |
| Standard | ISO 32000 |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| Browser behavior | Usually opens the built-in viewer |
What application/pdf is
It identifies a Portable Document Format file: a fixed-layout document with text, images and fonts. Browsers generally open it in an embedded viewer. The type is binary; do not add a charset parameter.
Inline display versus download
Content-Disposition: inline lets the browser open the PDF; attachment; filename="file.pdf" forces a download with that name. For private documents, remember that the URL itself is the access control unless the server authenticates the request — a PDF served from a public path can be fetched by anyone who learns the link.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my PDF open as a download?
The server is sending Content-Disposition: attachment, or the browser is configured to download PDFs. The media type itself usually opens inline.
Does application/pdf need a charset?
No. PDF is binary and defines its own text encoding internally.