WebSocket

What Is WebSocket?

WebSockets maintain an open connection between your app and server, allowing instant two-way data transfer without repeated HTTP requests. This is essential for: AI chatbot streaming (token-by-token responses), real-time dashboards, collaborative editing, live notifications, and multiplayer features.

WebSocket vs HTTP: HTTP is request-response (client asks, server answers). WebSocket is bidirectional (both sides can send data anytime). For AI apps, WebSocket enables the "typing" effect where LLM responses stream word by word.

Implementation: Socket.IO (Node.js), FastAPI WebSocket (Python), or direct browser WebSocket API. Most LLM providers support streaming responses via WebSocket or Server-Sent Events (SSE).