How the Internet Works

HTTP Request

A message your browser sends to a server asking for something — a web page, an image, data from an API.

Definition

A message your browser sends to a server asking for something — a web page, an image, data from an API. HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol, and it defines the format of these messages.

Example

When you load a webpage, your browser sends an HTTP GET request to the server saying 'please send me this page.' The server responds with the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript files.

More terms in How the Internet Works

URL Domain Name DNS Server Client Frontend Backend Request-Response Cycle IP Address

See it in context Learn how HTTP Request fits into the bigger picture of how software actually works.

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