HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)

Updated 17 Sep 2026

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What it is
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  an application-layer protocol defining how clients request resources and servers respond
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  a resource can have multiplle represenations, such as different image formats or languages
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Clients
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  browsers, command-line tools, mobile applications, backend services, and other programs
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Typical navigation
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  interpret the URL
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  use an appropriate cached response or establish/reuse a connection
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  resolve the hostname when needed
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  exchange a request and response
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  process the response; a browser may request further resources
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Caution
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  HTTP/1.1 message examples show a textual wire format; HTTP/2 and HTTP/3 use different framing
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  browser rendering is application behavior built on top of HTTP
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Related
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  HTTP Messages
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  HTTP Caching

Linked references 1