.tar MIME Type — application/x-tar

Q: How do I set the Content-Type for .tar in Nginx?

Make sure application/x-tar tar; is listed in the types block (usually in /etc/nginx/mime.types) and reload Nginx.

application/x-tar

MIME type for .tar

What is the MIME type of .tar files?

The MIME type (media type) for Tar archive files with the .tar extension is application/x-tar. An uncompressed archive; usually distributed as .tar.gz.

Content-Type header

Content-Type: application/x-tar

Server configuration

Server	Configuration
Nginx (`mime.types` or `types {}`)	`application/x-tar tar;`
Apache (`.htaccess`)	`AddType application/x-tar .tar`
IIS (`web.config`)	`<mimeMap fileExtension=".tar" mimeType="application/x-tar" />`
Node.js / Express	`res.type('tar')` or `res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/x-tar')`
Amazon S3	Set `Content-Type: application/x-tar` on the object (metadata), or pass `--content-type application/x-tar` to `aws s3 cp`

Should .tar files be compressed?

Yes. Tar archive is uncompressed data, so enabling gzip or Brotli for application/x-tar 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.

Frequently asked questions

What is the MIME type for .tar?

application/x-tar.

How do I set the Content-Type for .tar in Nginx?

Make sure application/x-tar tar; is listed in the types block (usually in /etc/nginx/mime.types) and reload Nginx.

Should I gzip .tar files?

Yes — the format compresses well, so add the type to your gzip/Brotli configuration.

.tar MIME Type: application/x-tar