From a URL to a response

What HTTP does

Understand the simple request and response convention that lets browsers, servers, command-line tools, and APIs communicate.

5 minute lesson

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HTTP is the language clients and servers use to exchange messages on the Web.

A client sends a request. A server handles it and sends a response.

client  -- request -->  server
client  <-- response -- server

Your browser is an HTTP client, but it is not the only one. curl, mobile apps, search-engine crawlers, and servers can all make HTTP requests.

HTTP does not decide how a server builds its response. The server might read a file, query a database, call another service, or calculate a value. HTTP only gives both sides a predictable message format.

This separation is important. You can replace the browser, server language, or database without changing the basic request and response cycle.

Lesson completed