Embodiments are directed to publishing file type associations for remote applications and to automatically updating file type associations for remote applications. In an embodiment, a remote application server sends to an administrative user an indication of remote applications that are provided by the remote application server. The remote application server of receives from the administrative user an indication of those remote applications that are to be published for computer systems managed by the administrative user. The remote application server also receives from the administrative user an indication of which file type associations are to be published for the indicated remote applications and publishes the indicated remote applications with the indicated file type associations on the remote application server. In this manner, users accessing the remote application server have access to the published applications with the remote applications' associated file types.