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HTTP operates as a request–response protocol: client sends a request, server returns a response with status and optional content.
HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is an application-layer, request–response protocol used in the client–server model. A client sends an HTTP request to a server, and the server processes it and returns an HTTP response that includes status information and, when applicable, the requested resource (e.g., an HTML document or other content). In typical web use, a browser acts as the client (user agent) and a web server hosts the resources. HTTP is designed to work efficiently with intermediate network elements such as proxies and caches. It is stateless at the protocol level, meaning the server does not inherently retain per-user session state across requests; application sessions are commonly implemented using cookies or other mechanisms. HTTP also supports authentication via challenge–response schemes (e.g., Basic and Digest) and can be encrypted using HTTPS (HTTP over TLS).
HTTP operates as a request–response protocol: client sends a request, server returns a response with status and optional content.
HTTP is stateless at the protocol level; application sessions are typically maintained via cookies or other mechanisms.
Intermediate nodes (proxies, caches) can participate using appropriate header handling (hop-by-hop vs end-to-end).
HTTP supports authentication through challenge–response mechanisms and can be secured via HTTPS (TLS).
A communication model where clients initiate requests and servers respond by providing resources or services.
A protocol where each transaction consists of a client request followed by a server response describing the outcome and optionally returning data.
A protocol that does not require the server to retain per-client session state between requests.
A connection reuse mechanism that allows multiple request–response exchanges over the same underlying transport connection to reduce latency.
A distinction in HTTP header handling where some headers are processed by intermediate nodes, while others are only interpreted by the endpoints.
A set of challenge–response authentication schemes defined by HTTP for verifying client access before serving resources.
The secure variant of HTTP that uses TLS encryption to protect data in transit.
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