Media type · application/zip
application/zip
application/zip is the media type for ZIP archives.
Key facts
| Type | application/zip |
|---|---|
| Extensions | .zip |
| Standard | ISO/IEC 21320-1; PKWARE APPNOTE |
| Text or binary | Binary |
| Browser behavior | Downloads the archive |
What application/zip is
It identifies a ZIP archive: a container holding compressed files and directory entries. Browsers download it rather than opening it, and operating systems unpack it natively. The type is binary, with no charset parameter.
ZIP containers with their own types
DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, JAR, APK and EPUB are technically ZIP containers, but they have registered media types of their own. Serving a DOCX as application/zip makes clients treat it as a generic archive instead of opening it in the right application. Use the specific type when the format is known; reserve application/zip for actual archives.
Frequently asked questions
Is a DOCX file application/zip?
Its bytes are a ZIP container, but the correct media type is the registered WordprocessingML type. Serving it as application/zip breaks the expected open behavior.
Does application/zip support compression parameters?
No. The HTTP media type does not describe the compression method of the entries; that is part of the ZIP format itself.