What is the correct Content Type for JSON?

Correct Content-Type Header for JSON

The correct content type for JSON is application/json, and the correct content type for JSONP (padded JSON) is application/javascript. For JSON-LD (JSON-linked data), the correct content type is application/ld+json. Legacy JSON content types, such as text/json, text/x-json, and text/javascript, should be avoided. The Content-Type HTTP header is used to indicate the type of media in the body of the HTTP message. The default encoding for JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is UTF-8. In this JSON Content-Type example, we send JSON to the ReqBin echo URL with an application/json Content-Type header. Click Send to execute the JSON Content-Type request online and see the results.

POST /echo/post/json HTTP/1.1 Host: reqbin.com Accept: application/json Content-Type: application/json Content-Length: 81 { "Id": 78912, "Customer": "Jason Sweet", "Quantity": 1, "Price": 18.00 }

Updated: Jan 13, 2023 Viewed: 47211 times

Author: ReqBin

What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a text format for representing structured data based on the syntax of the JavaScript language. The .json extension is used to identify JSON files. There are many programming languages that use JSON to exchange data, including Python, Java, JavaScript, PHP, C++, C#, Go, and many more.

JSON Example

{
  "Id": 78912,
  "Customer": "Jason Sweet",
  "Quantity": 1,
  "Price": 18.00
}

What is Content Type?

The Content-Type header indicates the type of media the resource uses in an HTTP entity. A content type is specified according to MIME (Multipurpose Email Extensions), which are standardized and published by the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA). The Content-Type header describes the nature of data in the body of HTTP messages by identifying type identifiers, subtype identifiers, and optional parameters.

Content-Type Example

Content-Type: image/png
Content-Type: text/html; charset=UTF-8
Content-Type: multipart/form-data;

Why is it important to specify the correct content type for JSON?

Each resource transmitted over HTTP has a media type, also known as a MIME type, that describes the resource type and allows browsers and servers to understand it properly. As an example, if the server is capable of accepting both JSON and XML content types on one endpoint, a Content-Type of application/json will tell the server to interpret the body data as JSON, whereas a Content-Type of application/xml will tell the server to interpret the body data as XML.

Content-Type Header for JSON Example

Content-Type: application/json

How to send JSON with correct Content-Type header?

The following is an example of posting JSON data to the ReqBin echo URL:

POST JSON Request Example

POST /echo/post/json HTTP/1.1
Host: reqbin.com
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Length: 81

{
  "Id": 78912,
  "Customer": "Jason Sweet",
  "Quantity": 1,
  "Price": 18.00
}

How to get JSON with correct Content-Type header?

The following is an example of loading JSON data from the ReqBin echo URL:

GET JSON Response Example

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: application/json
Content-Length: 19

{"success":"true"}

Generate Code Snippets for JSON Content Type Example

Convert your JSON Content Type request to the PHP, JavaScript/AJAX, Node.js, Curl/Bash, Python, Java, C#/.NET code snippets using the ReqBin code generator.