MultipartText-based

`multipart/alternative`

Alternative Content

Reference for multipart/alternative, the MIME type for messages offering the same content in different formats.

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HTTP Content-Type Header

HTTP Header

Content-Type: multipart/alternative; charset=utf-8

Quick Facts

MIME Type	multipart/alternative
Category	Multipart
Type	Text-based (human-readable)

Common Usage

multipart/alternative presents the same content in multiple formats, with the recipient choosing the best one. The most common use is email that provides both text/plain and text/html versions of the same message, allowing clients to display whichever format they support best.

Code Examples

HTML

<!-- Set MIME type in meta or fetch headers -->
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="multipart/alternative">

Node.js

// Express.js
app.get('/file', (req, res) => {
  res.type('multipart/alternative');
  res.send(data);
});

// Node.js http
res.writeHead(200, { 'Content-Type': 'multipart/alternative' });

nginx

# nginx.conf — add to types block or use default
types {
    multipart/alternative  alternative;
}

# Or set for a specific location
location /api/ {
    default_type multipart/alternative;
}