HTTP Header Viewer
View your browser's request headers and learn about common HTTP headers.
📤 Your Request Headers
📋 Common Response Headers
| Header Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Content-Type | The media type of the resource |
| Cache-Control | Directives for caching mechanisms |
| Content-Encoding | The compression encoding used |
| Server | Information about the server software |
| Date | The date and time the response was sent |
| Content-Length | Size of the response body in bytes |
| Connection | Control options for the current connection |
| Strict-Transport-Security | Enforce secure connections |
| X-Content-Type-Options | Prevent MIME type sniffing |
| X-Frame-Options | Clickjacking protection |
Viewing and Understanding HTTP Headers
HTTP headers provide essential metadata about web requests and responses. Viewing these headers helps developers debug issues, optimize performance, and ensure security policies are properly implemented. Every HTTP transaction includes headers that control behavior.
Request headers are sent by your browser to the server, while response headers come from the server back to your browser. Both types work together to ensure proper communication and content delivery.
Request Headers Your Browser Sends
Your browser automatically sends several headers with every request: User-Agent identifies your browser, Accept specifies preferred content types, Accept-Language indicates language preference, and Cookie sends stored cookies for the domain.
Response Headers from Servers
Servers respond with headers controlling content delivery. Content-Type specifies the media type, Cache-Control defines caching rules, and security headers protect against common attacks. These headers directly impact performance and security.
Viewing Headers in DevTools
Open browser DevTools (F12), go to the Network tab, and click any request to see its headers. The Headers panel shows both request and response headers. This is the most reliable way to debug header-related issues.
Custom Headers in APIs
APIs often use custom headers for authentication (Authorization, X-API-Key), rate limiting info (X-RateLimit-*), and pagination data. Understanding header conventions helps when integrating with third-party services.