Let us assume you have a product page, index.shtml , that should display a dynamic "last modified" date and a shared footer. The footer is missing. Here is the diagnostic and repair routine:

For security and recursion control, add:

If you are on a shared Linux hosting environment (like cPanel), you likely do not have access to the main server configuration files. You can fix this by adding directives to your local .htaccess file found in your site's root directory ( public_html ).

For those using Apache Tomcat, the fix is a simple MIME type adjustment in your web.xml file. Locate the web.xml file for your application and add a <mime-mapping> element if it doesn't already exist:

Ensures the server treats .shtml files as standard web pages.

When a user requests an SHTML page, the server reads the file, processes the include command, inserts the content of header.html , and sends the final, complete HTML page to the browser. If this process fails, the page will not view correctly. Common Reasons Why SHTML Files Won't View Correctly

If you see include_module , proceed. If not, enable it:

This article explores what SHTML is, why it poses a security risk, and how administrators can apply the necessary fixes to secure their web servers.

To help narrow down the specific for your setup, please share:

If you can tell me you are using (like Bluehost, SiteGround, or a VPS) and what error message you are seeing in your browser, I can tell you exactly which file to edit.

Add the following lines to tell Apache to look for SSI directives in .shtml files: