HTTP Request

An HTTP request is what a user sends to a web server to interact with a web application and make something happen. Since these requests are often the first point of contact between the user and the web server, knowing how they work is super important—especially if you’re into cyber security.

Imagine an HTTP request showing the key parts like the method (e.g., GET or POST), path (e.g., /login), and version (e.g., HTTP/1.1). These elements make up the basics of how a client (user) communicates with a server.

Request Line

The request line (or start line) is the first part of an HTTP request and tells the server what kind of request it’s dealing with. It has three main parts: the HTTP method, the URL path, and the HTTP version.

Example: METHOD /path HTTP/version