HTTP File Transfer

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What Does HTTP File Transfer Mean?

An HTTP file transfer is the process of transferring a file between multiple nodes/devices using the HTTP protocol, or more generally, the Internet.

It is one of the most commonly used methods for sending, receiving or exchanging data and files over the Internet or a TCP/IP-based network.

Techopedia Explains HTTP File Transfer

HTTP file transfer is typically enabled and managed through a web browser. The browser is responsible for initiating and managing an HTTP connection between the sending and receiving device using HTTP commands. Once the connection is established, the files can be transmitted between devices. A common example of HTTP file transfer is the process of viewing webpages, where HTTP fetches web pages from the remote web server and displays them on the local computer’s browser.

A variant of HTTP file transfer is the HTTPS file transfer that adds encryption and security to the data transmission process.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology Expert

Margaret is an award-winning technical writer and teacher known for her ability to explain complex technical subjects to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles by the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret's idea of a fun day is helping IT and business professionals learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.