MHTML or MHT is the short form of the term MIME MHTML file type which is a web page archive format that can combine a web page and its elements such as JS, CSS, images, etc. into a single file. In Chrome, we don’t have option to save a page in MHTML format, rather it has option to save pages in HTML format. The problem with this HTML options in Chrome is, when you save a complete page as HTML, it saves basic part as *.html file and a folder to store other components of the page. Thus, you are not saving a single file when saving a single page. You need to keep the both folder and html file to open the page properly on any browser or you need internet connection to fully load the page without component folder. In this case, single file MHTML comes in handy as it will keep all necessary files inside it.

MHTML support in Chrome

Note: You can even save a complete webpage into a single *.html file using a Chrome extension.

Chrome has this Feature in Experimental Settings

Though Google Chrome has support to open MHTML archive files for years, it never added the ability to save pages in this format in Save as option. But Chrome has this option in hidden. That means you can enable “Save as MHTML” in Chrome from Chrome’s hidden settings. You can access the setting by typing chrome://flags in Chrome address bar. Chrome kept it in hidden because it is still an experimental feature on Chrome. It’s your choice to enable it or not.

How to Enable Save as MHTML in Chrome

  1. On Chrome address bar, type chrome://flags, then hit enter. Now use Ctrl+F (Command+F on Mac) bring search bar and search for mhtml as I did below. Once you find the option, click on Enable link.
    Enable Save Page as HTML in Chrome Flags
  2. Click on Relaunch Now button from bottom left edge. You are done enabling the option.

How to Save a Page in MHTML Format

  1. Navigate to the page you want to save. Hit Ctrl+S (Command+S on Mac) or right-click on the page and click Save as.
  2. In the Save as window, choose Webpage, Single File under Save as type. Review your saving directory and hit Save.
    Save as MHTML Single File
  3. Go to the location you saved the page and you will find a single mhtml file, no extra folder.

Pros and Cons of MHTML File

As of pros, since MHTML files archive web pages in single file, these files become portable and you can easily transfer and share these with others. You don’t have to worry about loosing any content of the page. The file size is also smaller compared to the total size of the folder and file of an HTML file of the same webpage.

In terms of cons, MHTML isn’t widely supported. Only Internet explorer and Opera Browser has native support of MHTML document. On Firefox, you need to install an add-on like Mozilla Archive Format to add support of it. That means other browsers may not open MHTML files properly. Also, as all the web components are archived into a single file, it’s hard to work with individual files and codes for developers.

Closing Words

Though Chrome added support for MHT files, I didn’t find Chrome playing nice with these files and probably that’s why it’s still as experimental features.

Author: 

Jaber is a Programmer and Tech Enthusiast Geek from Dhaka, Bangladesh. He is the founder and Chief-Editor of TechGainer. While he is away from his keyboard, either he's fishing or messing with wildlife. In case, you can contact him at rijans[at]techgainer[dot]com.