WebSockets Explained: How Real-Time Communication Works on the Web

Most web applications start with a simple request-response model. The browser asks for something, the server responds, and the connection is done. That model works well for pages, APIs, forms, dashboards, and most CRUD applications. But some features need something different: chat messages that appear instantly live sports scores multiplayer game state collaborative editing cursors trading prices delivery tracking real-time notifications terminal sessions in the browser For these features, repeatedly asking the server “anything new?” becomes wasteful and slow. ...

May 3, 2026 · 12 min · Nitin