Share an HTML file without making people download it
Google Drive and Dropbox hand people the file rather than the page, so to share an HTML file that opens directly in the browser, put it on a free static host like ship.page with no signup. Drag in an .html file up to 10 MB, a .zip up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked) or a folder with up to 100 files, and you get a live HTTPS link in seconds with no credit card.
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 single HTML file size on every plan
- 10 MB
- Max ZIP on the free plan (100 MB unpacked)
- 25 MB
- Files per upload on the free plan
- 100 files
- Free forever, no signup, no credit card
- $0
How to share an HTML file so it opens in the browser
Check whether your page is one file or a folder
If all your CSS and JavaScript are inside one .html file, you can upload that single file up to 10 MB. If your page uses separate stylesheets, scripts or images, name the main file index.html and keep everything in one folder or zip it into a .zip up to 25 MB.
Drop the HTML file, folder or ZIP onto ship.page
Open ship.page in your browser and drag in your .html file, .zip or folder, or paste raw HTML into the box. You do not need an account or a credit card to publish.
Copy the live link or download the QR code
Your page is live in seconds on its own subdomain over HTTPS. Copy the URL or download the PNG QR code from the success screen and send it to anyone.
Claim the page if you want a dashboard
Publish without an account when you just need a quick link, or claim the upload with a free account (Google or an email link, no card) to manage it from a dashboard. If you need to update the file at the same URL or set a password, Pro is $4 a month.
What happens when you send someone an HTML file
| Service | What the other person gets |
|---|---|
| email attachment | A file they have to save to their device and open locally |
| Google Drive | A raw HTML code preview or a download prompt, not a working web page |
| Dropbox | A file download instead of a rendered page in the browser |
| ship.page | A live HTTPS link that opens as a rendered web page in any browser |
Why Google Drive and Dropbox download HTML instead of opening it
Cloud storage folders are built to hand back stored files, not to serve web pages. Google Drive used to host static pages through googledrive.com/host, which was deprecated on August 31, 2015 and shut down on August 31, 2016, so a shared HTML file in Drive no longer opens as a working page.
Dropbox made the same change a month later. It stopped rendering HTML in shared links for free accounts on October 3, 2016, so shared .html files download instead of opening, and Public folder links stopped working for Basic users on March 15, 2017 and for all users on September 1, 2017.
When you send someone an HTML file through email, Drive or Dropbox today, their browser either shows the raw source code or saves the file to their Downloads folder. To make the page open when clicked, you need a host that serves the file as a web page instead of a download.
Single HTML file vs a folder with CSS, JavaScript and images
If you only have one .html file with inline styles and scripts, drop it straight onto the uploader or use the HTML to link workflow. Even if your file is not named index.html, a single uploaded .html file becomes the homepage at the root of its own subdomain.
When your HTML links to external CSS, JavaScript, images or fonts, uploading the .html file alone will leave those assets behind. Put index.html and its assets inside one folder and drag the folder in, or zip them first if the folder is over roughly 7 MB of files.
- Single .html file: up to 10 MB on every plan.
- Folder drag-and-drop: encoded in one 10 MB request (roughly 7 MB of files); zip bigger folders first.
- ZIP upload on Free: up to 25 MB compressed, 100 MB unpacked, up to 100 files.
- ZIP upload on Pro ($4/month): up to 100 MB compressed, 400 MB unpacked, up to 10,000 files.
- A ZIP with a single top folder is unwrapped automatically so index.html sits at the root.
- File paths are case-sensitive, so match the exact spelling and capitalization in your HTML tags.
Tip: You cannot upload a lone image, PDF or video file by itself; place it inside a folder or ZIP with an index.html file that links to it.
Privacy, search engines and updating your link
Every page published on ship.page is served with a noindex header, so search engines leave it out of results, and ship.page does not list uploads anywhere public. Anyone who has the link can open it right away in a mobile or desktop browser without logging in.
Free pages show a small "Hosted on ship.page" badge that visitors can close, and a free page cannot be updated in place: uploading a new version creates a new link. If you want to test how a file looks before sending it out, see our guide to an online HTML viewer or ways to open an HTML file in a browser.
On the $4/month Pro plan, pages don't expire while you're on Pro (or you can pick any expiry from 60 seconds), the badge is removed, and you can re-upload or edit a page and keep the same link. Pro also adds password protection and up to 5 custom subdomains like yourname.ship.place that you can point at any of your pages.
When another tool is a better fit
ship.page is built for static files only: HTML, CSS, JavaScript, images, fonts, audio, video, WebAssembly and JSON. Look at a different tool if your project needs any of the features below, or read the broader share an HTML file guide if you are comparing workflows.
- Server-side code or databases: PHP, Node.js, Python, databases and WordPress do not run on ship.page.
- Custom domains: no plan offers custom domains, only the random URL and up to 5 custom .ship.place subdomains on Pro.
- Single-page-app server rewrites: there is no SPA fallback and no custom 404 page, so apps with client-side routing should use hash routes like #/about.
- Pre-compressed builds: files are served with no Content-Encoding, so .br or .gz outputs need compression turned off or a JavaScript decompressor.
Questions
Why does my HTML file download instead of opening when I share it?
File-sharing tools like Google Drive, Dropbox and email attachments send the file to the recipient's device or show raw code rather than serving it as a web page. Dropbox stopped rendering HTML in shared links for free accounts on October 3, 2016, and Google Drive shut down googledrive.com/host on August 31, 2016. Uploading the file to ship.page serves it over HTTPS so it opens directly in the browser.
How do I share an HTML file so anyone can open it on a phone?
Drop your HTML file, folder or ZIP onto ship.page to get a live HTTPS link and a downloadable PNG QR code. Anyone on a phone or computer can tap the link or scan the QR code and view the rendered page in their browser without downloading a file or signing in.
Do I need an account or credit card to share an HTML file on ship.page?
No. The free plan is free forever with no signup, no credit card, no ads, unlimited uploads and no bandwidth limits. You can publish without an account, or sign in later with Google or an email link to claim the page in a free dashboard.
What if my HTML file uses separate CSS, JavaScript and image files?
Name your main file index.html, put it in a folder alongside your CSS, JavaScript and image files, and drag the whole folder or a ZIP of it onto ship.page. The free plan accepts up to 100 files and a ZIP up to 25 MB (100 MB unpacked).
Can I update the HTML file later without changing the link?
On the free plan, a page cannot be updated in place and a new upload gets a new link. On the $4 a month Pro plan, you can re-upload or edit your page and keep the exact same URL, add password protection, and use up to 5 custom subdomains like yourname.ship.place.
Will search engines index the HTML file I share?
No. Every uploaded page is sent with a noindex header so search engines leave it out, and ship.page does not list uploads anywhere public. Only people who have your link can open it, and Pro users can add a password for extra restriction.
Keep reading
Share your HTML file as a live page
Drop an HTML file, ZIP or folder to get an HTTPS link and QR code in seconds, free and with no signup.