Static web page

A static web page is a web page that always comprises the same information in response to all download requests from all users. Contrast with Dynamic web page.

It displays the same information for all users, from all contexts, providing the classical hypertext, where navigation is performed through "static" documents.

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages

• Quick and easy to put together, even by someone who doesn't have much experience.
• Ideal for demonstrating how a site will look.
• Cache friendly, one copy can be shown to many people.

Disadvantages

• Difficult to maintain when a site gets large.
• Difficult to keep consistent and up to date.
• Offers little visitor personalization (all would have to be client side).

Technical view

The HTML or TXT page is stored at the web server file system and is distributed (in a HTTP protocol for example) directly unchanged, as a file transfer. This is unlike a dynamic webpage, in which the page or file is assembled on request, then delivered.

See also

• Dynamic web page
• Web page
• Web document