What Is HTTP and How Does It Work

Question

QA Hub Editorial · Accepted Answer

Short answer

HTTP is the protocol that governs communication between web browsers and servers. It uses a request-response model where clients ask for resources and servers deliver them.

How it works

A client sends an HTTP request with a method, headers, and optional body. The server processes it and returns a response with a status code, headers, and a body.

Example

GET /index.html HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/html
<html>...</html>

Why it matters

Every web page load, API call, and asset fetch relies on HTTP. Understanding methods, status codes, and headers is essential for web development and debugging.