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MIME Type
application/graphql-response+json
APIMIME type for GraphQL responses, as defined by the GraphQL over HTTP specification.
MIME type reference, HTTP example, browser usage, common mistakes, and related content.
What is the application/graphql-response+json MIME type?
The MIME type application/graphql-response+json is used to tell browsers, APIs, and servers how a file or response body should be interpreted.
MIME stands for Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions, and MIME types are now a standard part of HTTP responses and web content delivery.
When a browser or client receives a response with application/graphql-response+json, it uses that information to decide how the content should be processed, rendered, downloaded, or executed.
Example
Content-Type: application/graphql-response+json
HTTP example
HTTP/1.1 200 OK Content-Type: application/graphql-response+json Content-Length: 1256
Common use cases
- GraphQL API responses
- Distinguishing GraphQL responses from generic JSON
- Modern GraphQL server implementations
Common mistakes
- Using the wrong MIME type for the file being served
- Returning text/plain instead of application/graphql-response+json
- Forgetting required parameters like charset when relevant
- Using a deprecated MIME type in older server configurations
- Serving assets with a mismatched Content-Type header, causing browser parsing issues
How browsers use it
Browsers use the Content-Type response header to decide how a response should be handled. For example, HTML is rendered as a page, CSS is parsed as styles, JavaScript is executed as script, and images are displayed visually. If the MIME type is incorrect, the browser may refuse to load the file correctly or may treat it as plain text or a download instead.
Practical developer insight
Defined in the GraphQL over HTTP specification to clearly identify GraphQL responses. In practice, many GraphQL APIs still return application/json — adoption of this dedicated MIME type is growing but not yet universal. Some servers require Accept: application/graphql-response+json to enable this format. Check your server or client library for support.