In order to provide a technique of enabling any user to browse data of a table in a desired hierarchical structure, an HTML (Hyper Text Markup Language) file processing method comprises: if an HTML file containing a table definition is received from another server in response to a request from a terminal of a user, referring to a hierarchical display definition data storage for storing hierarchical display definition data of a table preset by the user for a specific HTML file containing a table definition, and specifying a hierarchical display definition data for the received HTML file; and by extracting display elements to be displayed at a first hierarchical layer of the received HTML file according to the specified hierarchical display definition data, generating and transmitting to the terminal of the user, an HTML file for the first hierarchical layer. Accordingly, the HTML file containing the table definition is reconstructed by using the hierarchical display definition data set by the user, and thus the user can efficiently browse desired data in the table.