How to Parse HTML as PHP

By default, Apache only processes files with a .php extension through the PHP interpreter. If you want .html or .htm files to be parsed as PHP (so they can contain PHP code), you need to add a handler directive to your .htaccess file. This is a common need when migrating from an older site that uses .html extensions but now needs PHP functionality.

01. The .htaccess Method

Add this line to your .htaccess file:

AddHandler application/x-httpd-lsphp .html .htm

This tells Apache to send .html and .htm files through the PHP handler. You can then use PHP code inside your HTML files:

<!-- This now works in .html files -->
<p>Today's date is: <?php echo date('F j, Y'); ?></p>

02. Which Handler to Use

The correct handler depends on your server's PHP configuration. Ultra Web Hosting uses CloudLinux LSAPI, so the correct handler is:

AddHandler application/x-httpd-lsphp .html .htm

If that doesn't work (you'll see the PHP code displayed as text instead of executing), try these alternatives:

# Alternative 1: Generic PHP handler
AddType application/x-httpd-php .html .htm

# Alternative 2: If using ea-php (EasyApache)
AddHandler application/x-httpd-ea-php82 .html .htm

03. Parsing Specific Files Only

If you only need PHP parsing in one or two specific .html files (not all of them), you can target them individually:

<Files "contact.html">
  AddHandler application/x-httpd-lsphp .html
</Files>

Or use FilesMatch for a pattern:

<FilesMatch "^(contact|about|pricing)\.html$">
  AddHandler application/x-httpd-lsphp .html
</FilesMatch>

For more .htaccess techniques, see our Complete .htaccess Guide.

04. Performance and SEO Considerations

Performance

When you add the PHP handler for .html files, every .html file is processed by PHP even if it contains no PHP code. This adds a small amount of overhead per request. For a handful of files, it's negligible. For a site with thousands of static .html files, it adds up. Only apply the handler to the directory or files that actually need it.

SEO

Changing how files are processed on the server has zero impact on SEO. Google doesn't care whether a page is served by PHP or as static HTML. The URL stays the same and the output stays the same. The change is entirely server-side and invisible to visitors and search engines.

05. Alternative: Rename to .php

If you're building a new site or can easily update your links, the cleaner approach is to simply rename your files from .html to .php. This is the standard convention and doesn't require any handler configuration.

If you rename files, set up 301 redirects for the old URLs so bookmarks and search engine listings still work:

Redirect 301 /about.html /about.php
Redirect 301 /contact.html /contact.php

Or use a pattern redirect for many files:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteRule ^(.+)\.html$ /$1.php [R=301,L]

Quick Recap: Parse HTML as PHP

If you only do 5 things from this guide, do these:

1. Add the handler to .htaccess - AddHandler application/x-httpd-lsphp .html .htm
2. Test with a simple PHP file - <?php echo 'works'; ?> in a .html file
3. Use <Files> for specific files only - avoids processing all .html files through PHP
4. Consider renaming to .php instead - cleaner, no handler needed, with 301 redirects for old URLs
5. Delete test files - never leave phpinfo or test scripts on a live site

Last updated March 2026 · Browse all PHP articles