How HTTP Works: Request-Response Lifecycle | MemonaIQ

The Stateless Protocol

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is the protocol that powers content delivery on the web. It is a stateless, text-based client-server protocol. The client (browser) opens a connection, sends a single request, receives a single response, and the connection is closed or kept open for reuse.

HTTP Request & Response Cycle

Browser

Web Server

GET /path HTTP/1.1

HTTP/1.1 200 OK

TCP Port Connections

By default, HTTP communicates over TCP port 80 (or port 443 for secure HTTPS). The browser initiates a TCP handshake, negotiates TLS encryption if applicable, and streams plaintext headers and payloads.

Statelessness and State Management

Stateless means the server retains no memory of previous requests. To identify users across requests, developers must use session tokens stored in Cookies, which are passed in request headers.