HTTP, or Hypertext Transfer Protocol, is the foundational protocol used by browsers and servers to exchange data on the web. It defines how requests and responses are formatted and transmitted. Every time a user loads a web page, their browser makes one or more HTTP requests to fetch resources. HTTP is stateless: each request contains everything the server needs to process it. This simplicity helped the web scale globally across many devices. HTTP supports different methods such as GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE to indicate the type of action being performed. Servers return status codes to communicate success or failure.
how it works
HTTP requests include headers, URLs, and optional bodies that carry structured data such as JSON. Responses include status codes that describe outcomes, like 200 for success or 404 for missing resources. HTTP runs over TCP, which ensures ordered and reliable delivery. Modern web apps often use HTTPS, which encrypts traffic for security. HTTP powers APIs, file downloads, streaming, and nearly all browser interactions. Understanding HTTP helps diagnose issues like latency, caching behavior, and incorrect content types.