What happens when you load a web page
Process map by Brian. 17 steps, 2 layers. Tags: tech, internet.
- You: Type a URL and press Enter
- Your browser: Is the address already cached?
- Your browser: Use the saved address
- Your browser: Open a connection (TCP)
- Your browser: Secure it with TLS: agree on keys and check the certificate
- Your browser: Is the certificate valid?
- The web server: Send the page (HTML)
- Your browser: Read the HTML and request the CSS, scripts and images
- A nearby edge server: Nearby servers deliver the files faster
- Your browser: Build the page and paint the pixels
- You: The page appears, usually in under two seconds
- You: A scary warning page
- DNS, the internet phone book: Look up the site's IP address