WHAT IS A WEB BROWSER?

How Does It All Work?

Although websites are everywhere around us, and seemingly everyone has one, there are many parts that need to work together in order for them to work properly. If you want to learn more about websites and how they work behind the scenes, you came to the right place! This series will break down what happens when you use a website, as well as what goes into building one.

This page is part of a series created as an introduction to web development concepts for people without any prior knowledge of the subject. Many technical details have been left out to keep it interesting!

What is a Web Browser?

A good place to begin talking about web development is with web browsers. If you have ever visited a website, you have also used a web browser! A web browser is an application on your computer, tablet, or smartphone that is responsible for displaying web pages to you.

There are many web browsers out there, and some are only available on certain devices. If you use an iPhone, iPad or a Mac, you will likely be familiar with Safari. On Windows computers there is a good chance you have used Edge or maybe Internet Explorer. Firefox and Chrome are two other popular browsers that are commonly installed on Android devices.

people using different internet browsers

When you type something into the search bar in your browser, you are making a request for a web page. The browser will find the source code of the page you are looking for, and convert it to a format that you can view.

Each web browser has its own quirks, so it is the developer's responsibility to ensure that the page returned looks good and works well, no matter which web browser is used to view the page.

At the end of the day, all web browsers do the same thing, but each come with their own pros and cons. Some load a little faster, some look a little nicer, some have a few more features. It comes down availability and personal preference; If you have a browser that lets you view the websites you want, that's all you need!

What's Next?

You just read a page from a series explaining how web development works. If you are following along in order, click the button below for the next step in the process.

What is Source Code?

If this page left you wondering about other parts of web development, check out the answers to some other common questions below!