long-polling

HTTP long polling pushes real-time notifications to clients by holding an HTTP request open until new events occur, providing a reliable fallback when WebSocket connections are blocked by proxies or corporate policies.

HTTP long polling is a technique where the server holds an HTTP request open until new data is available, then sends the response immediately to push near-real-time notifications without clients constantly polling the server.

Use long polling instead of WebSockets when working with low event rates, across restrictive browsers or proxy setups that block persistent connections, or where network constraints make WebSockets infeasible.

Yes, long polling works behind corporate proxies and restrictive network setups by using standard HTTP requests instead of persistent connections, ensuring clients still receive real-time event notifications.

To start receiving real-time events with HTTP long polling, direct your client to poll a designated server endpoint, which will hold the connection open and push notifications as new events occur.

Long polling is best suited for low event rate applications like chat or mobile notifications; it carries higher overhead than WebSockets for high-frequency updates, making it less ideal for heavy real-time data streams.