My webMethods Server derives the content and layout of the header and footer of a page from the content and layout of the current shell's Header and Footer folders. When the server renders one page, it is actually displaying the contents of up to five folders at once: the shell's Header, the shell's Leftnav, the requested page, the shell's Rightnav, and the shell's Footer. The server displays the content of the requested page as individual portlets, but it renders the content of shell sections without title bars, borders, or additional spacing. You can apply Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) classes and styles to the rows and columns that compose the shell sections, as well as specify the exact dimensions of those rows and columns, to further customize the layout of the shell.

The Titlebar shell section applies a title bar to each portlet on the page, which includes the display name and buttons for controlling the portlet. You can hide the Titlebar shell section individually for each portlet.

You can create and modify a shell with the Shell Administration page. To use the Shell Administration page, you must either have the system administrator grant you permission to access the portlet, or you must log in as the system administrator.