multipart form data
compound.compound. a way of sending information over the internet that allows you to send text and files, like photos or documents, at the same time.
compound. An encoding method for HTTP requests that allows for the transmission of multiple distinct data types, such as text fields and binary files, within a single message body.
The website uses multipart form data to let users upload their profile pictures.
When you submit a job application online with both a text form and a PDF resume, the browser typically sends the request as multipart form data.
Developers must ensure the server-side script is configured to parse multipart form data correctly, as standard form encoding cannot handle the binary streams required for high-resolution image uploads.
A compound term formed from the prefix multi- (from Latin multus, meaning many) and the noun part, combined with form and data. It was formalised within the context of the Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) standards, specifically in RFC 1867, to facilitate file uploads via the Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Commonly used in the context of web development and API documentation; often preceded by 'enctype' in HTML forms.
Last updated July 22, 2026