HTTP response is the data sent back to the client by the server after it receives and interprets an HTTP request. It consists of a status line, headers, and a body - basically a bunch of bytes spit back at the browser to tell it what to display.

How to use it in a sentence

• After pushing my code to production without testing, I kept refreshing the page but the HTTP response was always 500 Internal Server Error. Guess I'll be spending my weekend debugging instead of playing Elden Ring.

• My PM couldn't understand why the site was so slow, but after I explained that the backend was sending 10MB HTTP responses with every request due to all the tracking scripts marketing added, he finally agreed to let me do some optimization.

If you actually want to learn more...

• How Vercel optimizes HTTP responses for performance - This article dives into the nitty gritty of how Vercel's infrastructure handles HTTP responses to ensure optimal performance and scalability. Lots of buzzwords like "anycast routing" and "Kubernetes" to impress your tech lead.

• MDN Docs on HTTP Response - Leave it to the fine folks at Mozilla to give you all the gory details on HTTP response headers, status codes, and more. Perfect for some light bedtime reading.

• HTTP Cats - If you just can't get enough of HTTP responses, check out this site that pairs HTTP status codes with adorable cat photos. At least something good came out of your site being down.

Note: the Developer Dictionary is in Beta. Please direct feedback to skye@statsig.com.