Key HTTP Terminology

1. Introduction

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the foundation of data communication on the web. Understanding key HTTP terminology is essential for web development, debugging, and API integration.

2. HTTP Request

An HTTP request is a message sent by a client to a server. It contains a request line, headers, and sometimes a body.

GET /index.html HTTP/1.1
Host: www.example.com
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0
            

3. HTTP Response

An HTTP response is the message returned by a server in response to an HTTP request. It includes a status line, headers, and optionally a body.

HTTP/1.1 200 OK
Content-Type: text/html
Content-Length: 1234

...
            

4. HTTP Methods

HTTP methods define the action to be performed on a resource. Common methods include:

• GET: Retrieve data from the server.
• POST: Send data to the server.
• PUT: Update existing data on the server.
• DELETE: Remove data from the server.

5. HTTP Status Codes

Status codes indicate the outcome of an HTTP request. Common categories include:

• 1xx: Informational
• 2xx: Success
• 3xx: Redirection
• 4xx: Client Errors
• 5xx: Server Errors

6. HTTP Headers

HTTP headers provide essential information about the request or response. Examples include:

• Content-Type: Specifies the media type of the resource.
• User-Agent: Identifies the client software making the request.
• Authorization: Contains credentials for authentication.