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Module
Module 3 of 6Lesson 1 of 2~16 min

Reading a request and its response in the Network tab

An "it doesn't work" report wastes everyone's time, while the browser keeps a record of every exchange. This lesson teaches you to open the Network tab, read an HTTP request and its response, and draw a first diagnosis the engineering team can actually use.

Take this lesson: your first course is freeSee the full syllabus

Lesson objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to open your browser's Network tab, read an HTTP request (method, URL, status code, headers, cookies, duration) and draw a first diagnosis to pass on to the team.

Topics covered

  • HTTP request
  • Network tab
  • HTTP status codes
  • browser developer tools
  • web debugging

Where it fits

What the browser and the server say to each other

What does an HTTP exchange contain, and how does the browser turn the response into a page?

Lessons in this module

  1. Reading a request and its response in the Network tab (this lesson)
  2. From received code to displayed page

What you will learn in this module

This lesson is part of the course Explain how a web product works, from browser to server

  • Describe the steps of a web request, from the typed address to the displayed page (URL, DNS resolution, encrypted connection, HTTP request and response, browser rendering).
  • Read an HTTP exchange in the browser's Network tab (method, URL, status code, headers, cookies, duration) and draw a first diagnosis from it.
  • Explain how responsibilities are split between browser, frontend, backend, API, database and third-party services, and place where a business rule must run.

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