application/*
application/xml
File extensions: .xml
Extensible Markup Language — used by SOAP, feeds, and legacy APIs.
What is application/xml?
application/xml identifies an XML document. SOAP web services, RSS/Atom feeds, SVG images, Android layouts, and many enterprise APIs still return this content type. XML remains common wherever schema validation and namespaces matter more than payload size.
Typical usage
SOAP APIs, RSS/Atom feeds (though those use their own subtypes), enterprise integrations, config files.
Common gotchas
text/xml is a legacy variant with different charset defaults (US-ASCII vs UTF-8 for application/xml). Modern services should prefer application/xml.
HTTP header example
Response header
Content-Type: application/xml; charset=utf-8Reference
RFC 7303
Frequently asked questions
What is the application/xml MIME type?
application/xml identifies an XML document. SOAP web services, RSS/Atom feeds, SVG images, Android layouts, and many enterprise APIs still return this content type. XML remains common wherever schema validation and namespaces matter more than payload size.
What file extension does application/xml use?
Files served as application/xml typically use the extension .xml. The most common is .xml.
How do I set the Content-Type for application/xml?
Send the HTTP response header Content-Type: application/xml; charset=utf-8. SOAP APIs, RSS/Atom feeds (though those use their own subtypes), enterprise integrations, config files.
Is application/xml an official MIME type?
Yes. application/xml is officially registered with IANA (RFC 7303), so standards-conformant clients recognize it.
What are common mistakes with application/xml?
text/xml is a legacy variant with different charset defaults (US-ASCII vs UTF-8 for application/xml). Modern services should prefer application/xml.