A webserver in Python can be setup in two ways. Python supports a webserver out of the box. You can start a web server with a one liner. But you can also create a custom web server which has unique functionality. In this article you’ll learn how to do that. The web server in this example can be accessed on your local network only.

Python’s built-in http.server module can turn any directory into a simple HTTP web server for local development or file sharing. You can start the server from your terminal with the one-line command python -m http.server 8000. The http.server in Python 3 is the successor to the SimpleHTTPServer module from Python 2.

Python’s built-in http.server module makes it easy to serve files, test web pages, or create simple HTTP tools without installing anything extra. In this guide, you started with a one-line command, added custom content like index.html, explored useful options, and wrote a standalone server script for more control.

This ensures you don't accidentally upload your compiled Python files, your security certificates, or your configuration secrets to the public web. To wrap up, here is a checklist for running Python web servers effectively: Use the Right Tool: Use http.server for quick local testing. Use Flask/Django for building apps.