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Dev MaxxingBeginnerWeb Foundations60 sec
Web server
A web server is a program that listens for incoming HTTP requests and returns an appropriate HTTP response, often by running application logic or reading files.
Prerequisite: Web browser
What matters
Distinguishing the web server from the application code running on it clarifies why the same server software can host very different applications.
Example
A web server might receive a request for '/products/42', run application code to fetch that product's data, and return it as an HTML or JSON response.
Common misconception
A web server is not simply a physical machine; it refers to the software process that handles requests, which can run on many kinds of hardware.
Recall question
What does a web server do when it receives an HTTP request?
Keywords and related concepts
web serverbackendrequest handlingweb browser