Connection
Both directions
Says whether to keep the connection open; HTTP/2 no longer uses it.
| On the wire | Connection: … |
|---|---|
| Category | Both directions |
Headers that can appear on either side.
How to read this
- The first digit of a status code carries the meaning: 4 means the request, 5 means the server.
- 404 means "not there"; 403 means "there, but not for you". Swapping them makes debugging slower.
- Header names are case-insensitive — Content-Type and content-type are the same header.
- Caching and CORS problems usually come down to one header line, visible in the browser’s network tab.
Frequently asked questions
QWhat does HTTP Connection mean?
Says whether to keep the connection open; HTTP/2 no longer uses it.
QWhat does Connection look like on the wire?
It travels as Connection: …
QWhere does Connection appear?
In both directions.
QWhat group does Connection belong to?
The both directions group; the rest of that group is listed further down.