Create a Simple HTTP File Server in Python

This code creates a simple HTTP file server that serves files from the current working directory on port 8000 using Python's built-in http.server module.

Easy Python 3.7+ Jun 27, 2026 Automation & scripting 30 views 0 copies

http server file-server stdlib networking

Python code

22 lines

Python 3.7+

import http.server
import socketserver
import os

PORT = 8000
DIRECTORY = os.getcwd()

class CustomHandler(http.server.SimpleHTTPRequestHandler):
    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
        super().__init__(*args, directory=DIRECTORY, **kwargs)

    def log_message(self, format, *args):
        print(f"[{self.log_date_time_string()}] {args[0]} {args[1]} {args[2]}")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    print(f"Serving HTTP on http://localhost:{PORT} from {DIRECTORY}")
    with socketserver.TCPServer(("", PORT), CustomHandler) as httpd:
        try:
            httpd.serve_forever()
        except KeyboardInterrupt:
            print("\nServer stopped.")
            httpd.server_close()

Output

stdout

Serving HTTP on http://localhost:8000 from /path/to/current/directory
[12/Jan/2025 14:30:00] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 200 -
[12/Jan/2025 14:30:15] "GET /index.html HTTP/1.1" 200 -

How it works

The SimpleHTTPRequestHandler serves files from a specified directory. By default it uses the current working directory, but you can override the directory parameter in the constructor. The custom log_message method prints a clean log line with timestamp, HTTP method, path, and status code. The server runs until interrupted by Ctrl+C, then closes gracefully. This uses zero external dependencies — only the Python standard library.

Common mistakes

Using `socketserver.ForkingMixIn` or `ThreadingMixIn` without proper handling for concurrent requests
Not closing the server socket when exiting, which can leave ports occupied
Serving from a directory with large files without setting a timeout or buffer size

Variations

Use `http.server.HTTPServer` instead of `socketserver.TCPServer` for more control over request handling
Add `ThreadingTCPServer` or `ForkingMixIn` to handle multiple concurrent connections

Real-world use cases

Quickly sharing files across a local network during development or team work.
Hosting static build outputs (like HTML, CSS, JS) for preview before deployment.
Running a lightweight read-only file server for temporary data distribution in testing environments.

Create a Simple HTTP File Server in Python

Python code

Output

How it works

Common mistakes

Variations

Real-world use cases

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Real-world use cases

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