How to Add EXE Files to Websites

Did you create an .exe program that you think your readers will benefit from, and did you get permission to add a link to an exe file on your website? This is how to add the .exe file to your website so readers can open it or download it.

How to Add an EXE File to a Website

Before you start, make sure your host allows .exe files. Some hosting services don't allow files over a certain size and some don't allow certain types of files on a website. This includes .exe files. Make sure that what you add to your website is allowed by your web hosting service. You don't want to get your website shut down for not following the rules.

If your hosting service does not allow you to have .exe files on your website, get your own domain name for your website or switch to another hosting service that permits .exe files and large files.

1. Upload your .exe files to your website using the easy file upload program that your web hosting service provides. If they don't provide one then you need to use an FTP program to upload your exe file to your website.

   Read More

   Adding .doc or .txt Files to Websites

   By Linda Roeder

2. Where did you upload the .exe file to? Did you add the .exe file to the main folder on your website or to another folder? Or did you create a new folder on your website just for .exe files? Find the address of the .exe file on your website so you can link to it.

3. Which page on your website, and where on the page, do you want the link to your .exe file to be? You could make the .exe file open when the Web page opens, but a lot of people find this annoying and some find it to be bad form. Decide where you want the link to the .exe file to show on the webpage.

4. Look through the code on your webpage until you find the spot where you want to add the link to your .exe file. You may want to add a break before you enter the code, for the link to your .exe file, to add a space.

5. Add the HTML link to your .exe into your page. Remember that there are a few ways that you can handle this, and it'll depend on how your site is structured. You can either use the entire URL of your site followed by the location of your .exe in its folder like, https://your-site.com/exe/flowers.exe, or you can use a path relative to your website root similar to, /exe/flowers.exe. In many cases, either will work.

   The HTML link tag lets you customize your link text. Don't get too creative with it, but also don't use a full URL as your link text. Get to the point, and let people know what they're getting. Yours should look similar to the example below.

   Download Flowers Installer
   
   

   The result looks something like the image below.

6. Test your links and the connection to your server, even if you're developing locally on your own computer. Click your new link, and make sure that your web browser prompts you about downloading the file. If you get an error saying that either the file or page isn't found, you know something isn't right with your code.

When it comes to hosting an .exe on your site for download, it's as simple as storing it in an easily accessible place and linking to it. As long as your host allows, you can host as many .exe files as you like this way.