Suggest an editImprove this articleRefine the answer for “What is a request (request)?”. Your changes go to moderation before they’re published.Approval requiredContentWhat you’re changing🇺🇸EN🇺🇦UAPreviewTitle (EN)Short answer (EN)**A request** is a message that a client sends to a server in order to get data or trigger some action. **Key point:** a request always implies a response, even if that response is an error, and in client-server architecture it is always the client that speaks first.Shown above the full answer for quick recall.Answer (EN)Image**A request** is a **message that a client sends to a server** in order to **get data or trigger some action**. The simplest way to put it: **a request is the client's "ask" directed at the server**. --- ## Why a request is needed Without a request, the server **does nothing**. The request is what: - tells the server **what the client needs** - triggers processing on the server - starts the conversation between the client and the server In client-server architecture, **the client always speaks first**. --- ## What a request can contain In its simple form, a request usually includes: - **what to do** (for example: get data, send data, delete a resource) - **what to address** (the resource's location on the server) - **additional data** (login, password, parameters, the request body) A real-life example: > "Give me the /profile page for user 123" --- ## A practical example (HTTP) The most familiar example is the **HTTP request**: - a browser requests a web page - a mobile app requests data from an API - a program submits a form to the server Even if a user just opens a website, **a request is always happening underneath**. --- ## What happens after a request 1. The client sends a request 2. The server receives it 3. The server processes the request 4. The server builds a **response** 5. The client receives the response and uses it A request **always implies a response**, even if that response is an error. --- ## A real-life analogy A request is like: - an order in an online store - a letter asking for something - a question asked to a person You ask first, and only then get an answer. --- ## Short answer for an interview Remember this phrasing: > **A request is a message that a client sends to a server to get data or trigger a specific action. It initiates the interaction in client-server architecture.**For the reviewerNote to the moderator (optional)Visible only to the moderator. Helps review go faster.