Server Side Includes

Server Side Includes (SSI) allow a browser to send special commands to the web server that hosts your pages. This can be a real labor saver for you as a web site manager by shifting the burden of updating basic pieces of your pages from you to your web server. As with any such service, however, moderation is key. Do not over-utilize SSI or your site will become impaired by slower page downloads as your server struggles to meet the added demands on its resources.

We will discuss two SSI directives, and how they can help you manage your site: The ECHO and INCLUDE commands.