The Ultimate Guide to Viewing SHTML: Best Tools and Practices (2026 Edition)

Step 1:

Download and install XAMPP . Step 2: Launch the control panel and click "Start" next to Apache . Step 3: Click "Config" next to Apache → "httpd.conf". Find this line: Options Indexes FollowSymLinks . Change it to: Options Indexes FollowSymLinks Includes . Step 4: Find AddType text/html .shtml . Uncomment it (remove the # ). Also add: AddOutputFilter INCLUDES .shtml . Step 5: Save the config and restart Apache. Step 6: Copy your .shtml file and any included files (like headers or footers) into C:\xampp\htdocs\your-project\ . Step 7: Open Chrome and navigate to http://localhost/your-project/yourfile.shtml .

When to use this?

Only when you are 100% sure the SHTML file has no Server Side Includes (e.g., it’s just a renamed HTML file). Otherwise, avoid this method.

To edit or develop:

Use a code editor like Visual Studio Code , Sublime Text , or Notepad++ . These editors support syntax highlighting for SSI directives, making it easier to manage the includes.

Enable SSI on the Server

: Ensure your web server (like Apache or IIS) is configured to process SSI. This often involves naming your main files with the .shtml extension.

best practices guide or write-up on how to handle, secure, and use .shtml (Server Side Includes) files.

Since your request is very brief, I will interpret "view shtml best" as a request for a

Best tools to view SHTML source:

Depending on your technical skill and what you need to see (source code vs. rendered design), here are the absolute best methods.