HTTP & APIs
HTTP
HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) is the standardized language of the web that browsers and servers use to request and send data.
Diagram
Browser (Client) Server
───────────────── ─────────────────
│ GET /about │──────▶ │ Routing Table │
│ Host: site.co │ │ /about → HTML │
└───────────────── └───────┬────────
│
───────────────── ▼
│ 200 OK │◀────── HTML content
│ <html>...</h> │ Content-Type: text/html
└─────────────────In Depth
HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol. It is the baseline agreement and collection of rules that defines how a web browser or mobile client requests files (like HTML, JSON, or images) and how a remote server returns them.
Common Misconception
HTTP is not just for web browsers. Mobile apps, desktop applications, microservices, and smart IoT devices all utilize HTTP to send and receive structured data.
Real World Usage
Every search, page navigation, and API fetch runs over HTTP. It is the core communication medium of the modern internet.
Related Terms