A <strong>request</strong> is when a client asks for something, and a <strong>response</strong> is what the server sends back. This is the fundamental conversation pattern of the web.
The Question and Answer
Like asking a librarian for a book and getting it back, every web interaction is a request-response cycle.
Request
The question
Processing
Thinking
Response
The answer
GET /profile
Processing
200 OK + Data
Client Sends Request
Includes: URL, method (GET/POST), headers, maybe data
Server Receives
Server reads what you're asking for
Server Processes
Runs code, queries database, prepares response
Server Sends Response
Includes: status code (200, 404), headers, data
Client Handles Response
Shows success, error, or the data you requested
Wrong
The connection stays open the whole time you're on a website
Correct
Each request-response is a separate conversation. After the server responds, the connection usually closes. Your browser makes many separate requests for images, CSS, data, etc.
Loading a Twitter page:
Request 1: GET /home → Response: HTML page
Request 2: GET /profile-pic.jpg → Response: Your photo
Request 3: GET /api/tweets → Response: Latest tweets data
Request 4: POST /api/like → Response: Success confirmation
Each is a separate request-response cycle