application/msword
MIME type for .doc
Documents
Category
Yes
Compress with gzip/Brotli
What is the MIME type of .doc files?
The MIME type (media type) for Microsoft Word (legacy) files with the .doc extension is application/msword. The binary format used by Word 97–2003.
Content-Type header
Content-Type: application/mswordServer configuration
| Server | Configuration |
|---|---|
Nginx (mime.types or types {}) | application/msword doc; |
Apache (.htaccess) | AddType application/msword .doc |
IIS (web.config) | <mimeMap fileExtension=".doc" mimeType="application/msword" /> |
| Node.js / Express | res.type('doc') or res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/msword') |
| Amazon S3 | Set Content-Type: application/msword on the object (metadata), or pass --content-type application/msword to aws s3 cp |
Should .doc files be compressed?
Yes. Microsoft Word (legacy) is uncompressed data, so enabling gzip or Brotli for application/msword typically saves 50–80 % of the transfer size. Make sure your server’s compression list includes this type — check with the website compression test.
Why the MIME type matters
Browsers decide what to do with a response — render, run, play or download — from the Content-Type header, not the file extension. With X-Content-Type-Options: nosniff, a wrong type causes stylesheets and scripts to be blocked outright. For uploads, never trust the type sent by the client; check the file’s content (its magic bytes) on the server.
MIME type lookupSearch every common file extension and MIME type, with copy-ready Content-Type headers.
Search all MIME types Frequently asked questions
What is the MIME type for .doc?
application/msword.How do I set the Content-Type for .doc in Nginx?
Make sure
application/msword doc; is listed in the types block (usually in /etc/nginx/mime.types) and reload Nginx.Should I gzip .doc files?
Yes — the format compresses well, so add the type to your gzip/Brotli configuration.