diff --git a/src/extractionresult.h b/src/extractionresult.h
--- a/src/extractionresult.h
+++ b/src/extractionresult.h
@@ -72,7 +72,10 @@
     /**
      * The input mimetype. This mimetype should correspond with the
      * mimetypes supported with the relevant plugin when it is being
-     * passed to the Extractor
+     * passed to the Extractor, or be a subtype thereof.
+     *
+     * \sa ExtractorCollection::fetchExtractors
+     * \sa ExtractorPlugin::supportedMimeType
      */
     QString inputMimetype() const;
 
@@ -105,7 +108,7 @@
      * This function is called by the plugins.
      * A type is a higher level classification of the file. A file can
      * have multiple types, but mostly when it does, those types are related.
-     * Eg - Document and Presenentation.
+     * Eg - Document and Presentation.
      *
      * Please choose one type from the list of available types
      */
diff --git a/src/extractorplugin.h b/src/extractorplugin.h
--- a/src/extractorplugin.h
+++ b/src/extractorplugin.h
@@ -90,6 +90,23 @@
      */
     static QStringList contactsFromString(const QString& string);
 
+protected:
+    /**
+     * Return the inherited mimetype which the extractor directly supports.
+     *
+     * The returned type is one of the types from \c mimetypes(),
+     * and is one of the ancestors of the the input \p mimetype
+     * (including \p mimetype itself).
+     *
+     * In case the mimetype is not a subtype of the supported types,
+     * an empty QString() is returned.
+     *
+     * \sa ExtractorCollection::fetchExtractors
+     * \sa QMimeType::allAncestors
+     * @since 5.57
+     */
+    QString getSupportedMimeType(const QString& mimetype) const;
+
 private:
     class Private;
     Private* d;
diff --git a/src/extractorplugin.cpp b/src/extractorplugin.cpp
--- a/src/extractorplugin.cpp
+++ b/src/extractorplugin.cpp
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 
 #include "extractorplugin.h"
 
+#include <QMimeDatabase>
 #include <QDebug>
 
 using namespace KFileMetaData;
@@ -143,3 +144,22 @@
 
     return list;
 }
+
+QString ExtractorPlugin::getSupportedMimeType(const QString& mimetype) const
+{
+    const QStringList allTypes = mimetypes();
+    if (allTypes.contains(mimetype)) {
+        return mimetype;
+    }
+
+    QMimeDatabase db;
+    auto type = db.mimeTypeForName(mimetype);
+    const QStringList ancestors = type.allAncestors();
+    for (auto ancestor : ancestors) {
+        if (allTypes.contains(ancestor)) {
+            return ancestor;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return QString();
+}