What is a Web Server?

What is a Web Server?

A web server is software (and the hardware it runs on) that stores websites and delivers their pages to users' browsers when requested. It's the engine behind every website.

How a Web Server Works

1. You type a URL in your browser.
2. The browser sends an HTTP request to the server.
3. The server finds the requested page/data.
4. It sends back an HTTP response (HTML, images, etc.).
5. Your browser renders the page.

Browser → HTTP Request → Web Server → Response → Browser

Popular Web Servers

Server	Note
Nginx	Fast, popular, reverse proxy
Apache	Mature, flexible
Node.js	JavaScript servers
LiteSpeed	High performance

Static vs Dynamic Servers

• Static — serves fixed files (HTML, images).
• Dynamic — generates pages on the fly (with databases, code).

FAQs

Web server vs application server?

A web server serves HTTP content; an app server runs business logic. They often work together. More in our What Is guides.

Can my computer be a web server?

Yes — install software like Nginx or run Node.js locally.