Microsoft Frontpage is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) html editor. It is easy to use and includes all the tools needed to create, maintain, and upload a website. However, it creates inefficient code that is often incompatible with Netscape and other non-Microsoft browsers. It is also restrictive from a design standpoint. Using Frontpage, you can create a complete website offline and then upload it to your web server directly from the program. Older versions required that the web server have Frontpage Extensions installed in order to upload all components correctly. Newer versions allow you to upload using the standard WebDAV protocol.

If you have already created your website using Frontpage and are not familiar with ftp, I would recommend that you look for a hosting plan that has Frontpage server extensions (most do). You can browse for Frontpage supported hosts by clicking here. Otherwise, create your site using Macromedia Dreamweaver, Adobe GoLive or another program, then upload it using a separate FTP program. This does not require that the target host have Frontpage Extensions.

In conclusion, you only need Frontpage Extensions if you have created your site using Frontpage. If you upload a Frontpage created website to a server without Frontpage Extensions, some components may not function correctly.