Apache HTTP Server
Apache is a free and open-source cross-platform web server software.
What detecting Apache HTTP Server tells you about a site
Apache HTTP Server is one of the two classic origin web servers, and you read it straight off the Server response header — often as Apache with an optional version and OS module string. Because it predates and underpins a huge amount of the older web, detecting it leans toward established, server-rendered stacks: shared hosting, PHP/CMS deployments, and enterprise Java behind mod_proxy. It says less about the application than Nginx-vs-Apache choice implies culturally — Apache is the conservative, ubiquitous default, frequently inherited rather than chosen.
The detail that matters for Apache HTTP Server
When the Server header leaks the full module banner (Apache version plus OpenSSL/PHP versions), that is a real security-posture read — a verbose, unredacted banner suggests the operator has not hardened the config, and an old version is a patch-hygiene flag.
Apache HTTP Server in a real-world stack
When you find Apache HTTP Server, it rarely travels alone. Most often fronting PHP (WordPress, Drupal) on a LAMP stack, or reverse-proxying a Tomcat/Java backend.
About
Apache is a free and open-source cross-platform web server software.
Categories: Web servers
Quick facts
Detection methodology for Web servers
Server software identification reads the `Server` response header and (where exposed) version-specific markers in error pages. Cloudflare in front of nginx in front of Apache is the classic three-layer stack you'll see in the wild — we surface each layer separately so the actual origin server isn't masked by the edge layer.
How we detect Apache HTTP Server
Sourcemap Explorer carries 1 fingerprint signal for Apache HTTP Server, spread across 1 channel — response header. The exact patterns are listed below, and you can replay each one in Chrome DevTools to confirm a match by hand.
Each signal alone is rarely conclusive — Sourcemap Explorer cross-references all of them and weights by confidence. You can reproduce any of these checks yourself in Chrome DevTools.
Server-side fingerprint: the response header reveals the technology behind the page. Visible in DevTools → Network → response headers.
Server: (?:Apache(?:$|/([\d.]+)|[^/-])|(?:^|\b)HTTPD)
FAQ
How do I check if a website is using Apache HTTP Server?
Open the page in Chrome, click the Sourcemap Explorer toolbar icon, and read the Stack tab. Apache HTTP Server's specific fingerprints here are response header, and the popup flags Apache HTTP Server whenever any combination of them is found. The same checks can be reproduced manually in DevTools — see the "How we detect" section above.
What Apache HTTP Server version can Sourcemap Explorer detect?
Apache HTTP Server ships as a hosted web servers rather than a bundled npm package, so version-specific detection isn't always possible. Where the platform leaks a version in response headers (`X-Powered-By`, `Server`, generator meta tags) we surface it; otherwise we report presence only.
Is Apache HTTP Server open source?
Yes, Apache HTTP Server is open source. The license details are listed on the official site (https://httpd.apache.org/), and the codebase typically lives on a public source-control host.
Where can I read more about Apache HTTP Server?
Official site: https://httpd.apache.org/. For Sourcemap Explorer's detection guide, see the deep-dive link below or the related guides in the cross-link section.
Keep reading on Sourcemap Explorer
Alternative tools
Detected by Sourcemap Explorer
Open the popup on any page running Apache HTTP Serverand you'll see the exact version pulled from the bundled package.json when sourcemaps are exposed.