How do I share an HTML file with someone?
Turn the HTML file into a live link and send the URL instead of the file, free and with no signup on ship.page. Drop a single .html file up to 10 MB, a folder, or a ZIP up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked, up to 100 files) into the browser and share the HTTPS link or QR code in seconds, with no credit card and unlimited uploads.
A file. A folder. A fresh start.
Your static site, one link away.
Uploading publishes your file. The link is public but unlisted, not password-protected, so leave out secrets and confidential content.
- Max size for a single HTML file on every plan
- 10 MB
- Free ZIP upload limit (100 MB unpacked)
- 25 MB ZIP
- Files per upload on the free forever plan
- 100 files
- No account or credit card required to publish
- 0 signups
How to turn your HTML file into a link you can send
Check whether your page has extra files
If all of your HTML, CSS, and JavaScript live in one .html file, you can upload that single file as it is. If your page uses separate stylesheet, script, or image files, put the whole project in one folder or a .zip file with the main page named index.html.
Drop the HTML file, folder, or ZIP onto ship.page
Drag your .html file, folder, or .zip into the uploader on this page, pick it from your computer, or paste raw HTML. No account or credit card is needed, and a ZIP with one top folder is unwrapped automatically.
Send the live link or QR code
Your page is live in seconds on its own subdomain over HTTPS. Copy the URL to paste into an email, chat, or text message, or download the PNG QR code from the success screen so your recipient can open it on a phone.
Ways to share an HTML file compared
| Way to share | Opens as a page | Works on a phone | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| ship.page link | Yes, in any browser | Yes, via link or QR code | Static files only; 10 MB single HTML or 25 MB ZIP on free |
| Email attachment | Only if downloaded first | Often shows raw code or fails | Loses linked CSS, images, and scripts |
| Google Drive | No, shows source or preview | No, does not run as a page | Shut down web hosting on August 31, 2016 |
| Dropbox | No, downloads the file | No, downloads instead of opening | Stopped rendering HTML on October 3, 2016 |
| Netlify Drop | Yes, after password or signup | Yes, once unlocked | Unclaimed drops sit behind a temporary password and expire |
Why sending the .html file itself usually fails
When you attach an .html file to an email or chat message, only that single file travels to the other person. Any CSS stylesheets, images, fonts, or JavaScript files sitting in the same folder on your computer stay behind, so the page opens unstyled or broken.
Phones make this worse. When someone taps an attached HTML file on iOS or Android, the mail or chat app often shows raw code, blocks JavaScript, or asks which app should open the file instead of rendering it like a normal webpage. You can read more about what happens on the receiving end in our guide to opening an HTML file.
Turning the file into a hosted link fixes both problems. The recipient clicks a normal HTTPS URL, and their browser loads the page and all of its assets right away.
Why Google Drive and Dropbox no longer open HTML files as pages
Many older tutorials tell you to drop an HTML file into cloud storage and share the link, but both major cloud drives turned off HTML rendering years ago. If you share an .html link from either service today, the other person sees source code or a file download prompt instead of your webpage.
If you only need to back up the raw file for someone to edit in a code editor, Google Drive and Dropbox are still fine. When you want the person to view the page in their browser, use a static host that serves HTML over HTTPS.
- Google Drive deprecated googledrive.com/host on August 31, 2015 and shut it down on August 31, 2016, so shared HTML files no longer open as working pages.
- Dropbox stopped rendering HTML in shared links for free accounts on October 3, 2016, making shared .html links download the file instead of opening it.
- Dropbox Public folder links stopped working for Basic users on March 15, 2017 and for all users on September 1, 2017.
How ship.page compares with Netlify Drop
Netlify Drop (app.netlify.com/drop) also accepts a single HTML file, a folder, or a ZIP in the browser without asking you to sign in first. However, an unclaimed Netlify Drop stays behind a temporary password until you claim it with a Netlify account, and Netlify's blog notes that unclaimed drops expire on their own. Netlify's docs also state that deploys under 50 MB work best and single files over 10 MB may get stuck.
On ship.page, the link you get without an account opens immediately for anyone you send it to, with no password gate in front of it. If you want to manage the page from a dashboard later, you can claim the upload with a free account using Google or an email link, with no credit card.
Netlify is the better pick when you need a build step after you sign in or want to attach a custom domain. ship.page is faster when you already have finished HTML and want to turn an HTML file into a link in seconds.
What to know about multi-file folders, privacy, and updates
If your HTML file loads images, CSS, or scripts, put everything in one folder or ZIP with the entry file named index.html. Keep file paths matching the exact uppercase and lowercase letters in your HTML because paths are case-sensitive. A browser folder upload is sent as one request of at most 10 MB (roughly 7 MB of files), so zip larger folders first.
Every upload is sent with a noindex header so search engines leave it out, and ship.page does not list uploads anywhere public. Anyone with the link can open it, which fits quick client previews or when you want to share an HTML presentation.
The free plan is free forever with unlimited uploads and no bandwidth limits. A free page cannot be updated in place; uploading a new version gives you a new link. Pro is $4 a month (billed monthly, cancel anytime) and gives you pages that stay online while you're on Pro, in-place updates on the same link, password protection, ZIPs up to 100 MB (400 MB unpacked), 10,000 files per upload, and up to 5 custom subdomains like yourname.ship.place.
Tip: If you only have a standalone PDF, image, or video, wrap it in a folder or ZIP alongside a simple index.html file, since the uploader does not accept lone non-HTML files.
Questions
How do I send an HTML file to someone so it opens in their browser?
Upload the .html file to ship.page to get a live HTTPS link, then send that link instead of the file. The recipient clicks the URL and the page opens in any desktop or mobile browser without downloading anything.
How do I share an HTML file with images and CSS?
Name your main file index.html, place it in the same folder as your CSS, JavaScript, and image files, and drag either the folder or a .zip of it onto ship.page. Free uploads support ZIPs up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked) and up to 100 files.
Can I share an HTML file on Google Drive or Dropbox and have it open as a webpage?
No. Google Drive shut down its web hosting feature on August 31, 2016, and Dropbox stopped rendering HTML in shared links for free accounts on October 3, 2016 and shut down Public folder links for all users by September 1, 2017.
Is sharing an HTML file on ship.page free?
Yes, the free plan is free forever with no trial, no credit card, no ads, unlimited uploads, and no bandwidth limits. You can upload a single HTML file up to 10 MB or a ZIP up to 25 MB with up to 100 files.
Will strangers or search engines find the HTML file I share?
Every uploaded page includes a noindex header so search engines do not index it, and ship.page does not list uploads in any public directory. Anyone who has the link can view the page, and Pro ($4 a month) adds password protection if you need to lock it.
Can I update the HTML file after I send the link?
On the free plan, pages cannot be updated in place, so uploading a revised file creates a new link. With Pro for $4 a month, you can re-upload or edit a page and keep the exact same URL, and Pro pages don't expire while you're on Pro.
Keep reading
- Share an HTML file online
- Convert an HTML file to a link
- How to open an HTML file
- Share an HTML presentation
Turn your HTML file into a link now
Drop an .html file, folder, or ZIP to get a live HTTPS URL and QR code in seconds with no signup.