Web Servers themselves cannot understand and parse PHP files, the external programs do it for them. There are many ways how you can do this, both with its pros and cons. Various ways: Mod_php: means PHP, as an Apache module FastCGI: a PHP process is launched by Apache, and it is that PHP process that interprets PHP code -- not Apache itself PHP-FPM: PHP-FPM (FastCGI Process Manager) is an alternative PHP FastCGI implementation with some additional features useful for sites of any size, especially busier sites