An HTTP server serves data to clients using the HTTP protocol. It is also known as a web server.

The first http server was called CERN HTTPD, and it was written in 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee for the NeXTSTEP platform. Four years later, Berners-Lee initiated the creation of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to regulate the development of HTTP, HTML, and other technologies related to the World Wide Web.

As of 2022, the top three popular http server software packages are Nginx, Apache, and Microsoft IIS.

CERN, Internet terms, Network terms, Server, World Wide Web