Was sind HTTP-Header?

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21.11.2023
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HTTP headers (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Headers) are information contained in an HTTP request or response that are used to convey additional information about the transmission. These headers consist of key-value pairs and are used as part of the HTTP protocol to direct and control communication between a web browser and a web server.

There are two main types of HTTP headers: request headers and response headers.

  1. Request Header: This header is sent by the web browser when a request is made to a web server. The request header contains information such as the browser type, the desired action (such as GET or POST), the acceptance of certain media types and cookies.

    Examples of request headers:

    • Host: The domain name of the target server.
    • User-Agent: Information about the browser type and operating system.
    • Accept: The media types accepted by the browser.
    • Cookie: Information about previously stored cookies.
  2. Response Header: This header is sent by the web server in response to a request. It contains information about how the request was processed and what additional information the browser should use. Response headers can contain, for example, the status code of the request, the server program used, and cache control information.

    Examples of response headers:

    • Content-Type: The media type of the returned data (e.g., text/html, application/json).
    • Content-Length: The length of the returned data in bytes.
    • Server: Information about the server used.
    • Set-Cookie: Instructions for setting cookies on the client.

HTTP headers play a crucial role in communication between browsers and servers by providing additional control and contextual information. They make it possible to control the exchange of data, format content, implement security measures and influence other aspects of HTTP communication. Developers can also use custom headers to implement specific requirements or application logic.

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Knowledge Base

Here we answer questions about server monitoring from Livewatch. If you have a question that we have not yet answered here, please contact us.

What is an HTTP Performance Check?

An HTTP performance check refers to checking and evaluating the performance of a website or web application, especially in relation to the HTTP protocol. HTTP stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol and is the basic protocol used to exchange information on the World Wide Web.

An HTTP Performance Check analyzes various aspects of a website's performance to ensure that it is efficient and user-friendly. Commonly reviewed factors include:

  1. Loading times: The time it takes for a web page to fully load. Fast loading times are crucial for a positive user experience.

  2. Server response time: The time it takes the web server to respond to a request. Fast server response time contributes to fast loading times.

  3. HTTP Status Codes: Checking HTTP status codes to ensure that the website is working properly. For example, status code 200 OK should appear when a page loads successfully.

  4. Caching: Check whether effective caching is implemented to speed up repeated loads.

  5. Images and other resources: Optimization of images and other resources to minimize loading times.

  6. Parallelization of resources: Check whether the website can load resources in parallel to increase efficiency.

  7. Minimizing HTTP requests: Reducing the number of HTTP requests required to reduce load times.

  8. Compression: Check whether data is compressed via GZIP or Deflate compression techniques to minimize transfer time.

There are various tools and services that can perform an HTTP performance check. This includes website analysis tools, online services, or developer tools that are integrated into browsers. Such checks are important to ensure that a website works efficiently and offers an optimal user experience.

Push notification

A push notification is an automatic message sent by an application or service to a device without the application being actively open on the device. These notifications are "pushed" or actively sent from the server to the client, rather than the client actively checking for updates.

Here are some important features of push notifications:

  1. Active delivery: Push notifications are sent from the server to the device without the app or browser actively running. This allows important information to be sent to the user immediately, even when the app is in the background or closed.

  2. Direct Communication: Push notifications enable direct communication between the server and the user's device. This is particularly useful for notifying users of events, updates, or relevant information.

  3. Adjustable permissions: Users typically have control over which apps or services are allowed to send push notifications. This ensures that users are not bothered by unwanted notifications.

  4. Different Platforms: Push notifications are supported on different platforms such as iOS, Android and Web. The implementation may vary depending on the platform, but the basic concept remains similar.

  5. Versatile Application: Push notifications are used in a variety of applications including messaging apps, social media, email, news apps and more. They are an effective way to keep users informed of updates and relevant information.

Examples of push notifications are:

  • Message notifications: Notifications about incoming messages in messaging apps.

  • Updates: Notifications about software or app updates.

  • Events: Notifications about upcoming events, appointments or activities.

It is important that push notifications are used responsibly to ensure a positive user experience and not overburden users. Users should also have the ability to customize push notification settings based on their preferences.

Evaluate HTTP headers, but how?

To evaluate the HTTP header, you can use our HTTP Header Check Tool to enter the URL of the website from which you want to read the HTTP header. We show you the individual HTTP header entries. There are a number of possible HTTP header values that are important for the presentation of the website. To name just a few: Accept, Accept-Charset, Accept-Encoding, Cache-Control, Content-Length, Content-Type, Pragma, Transfer-Encoding, User-Agent or also Expires and Last-Modified.

What is a HTTP Header?

The transmission of websites takes place with the HTTP protocol. Your browser sends a request to a server and receives an HTTP response as a response, which is divided into different parts. Part of this is the so-called HTTP header which contains information about the structure of the HTTP response. With our HTTP header check you can display this part of the response.