What is a Web Host

Websites. They are amazing pieces of technology that are available to everyone with an internet connection, and have the ability to hold so much useful information for the world to find! Most websites are created with, or generated woth HTML files that your browser can read, just like this one here! The files that control the content on websites are hosted on computers called web servers, and their job is to distribute the website’s files to your browser. Let’s learn more about how they work, and how you can get started using one, or making your own.

What exactly is a web server?

A web server is basically a computer. But instead of being used to search the internet and run photoshop, it is used to distribute website files to other computers like yours! The web server holds the files that make up a website (Such as HTML and CSS files for basic sites, or PHP files for dynamic sites). When you enter a URL into your browser, or when you click on a link, your computer finds the webserver that hosts that website and askes it for the files. The web server then gives your computer the files, and then you get to view the website!

I want to host a website, how do I make a web server?

Although you can make a webserver at home using a Raspberry Pi or your desktop computer, you would have to keep your device on at all times, and every visitor to your website will strain your internet connection! Unless you have a small website with few visitors, or a heavy-duty internet connection, creating your own may not be the best idea. On top of that, web servers can be hard to maintain, and most people would rather not have to do that. The good news is that you can put your website on someone else’s web server for free (Such as the free webhosing provider InfinityFree), and you can read this article on how to host a website to learn more. If you want to host your website yourself, run a Google Search with "Make your own webserver with" amd then the name of the device you want to use (Windows, Mac, Raspberry Pi).

Conclusion

Web Servers are amazing pieces of technology that make up the World Wide Web. They allow you to view websites on your computer, and for information to be spread around the globe. I hope you learned something, and let us know if you found a mistake!