How the Web Works
HTTP, DNS, HTML/CSS/JS, and what actually happens between typing a URL and seeing a page.
What you'll actually learn
Everyone uses the web daily and almost nobody can explain what actually happens between typing a URL and a page appearing. This track covers that full chain — DNS turning a name into an address, HTTP carrying the actual request and response, and HTML/CSS/JS turning that response into the page you see — as one connected mechanism instead of four separate topics that happen to sit next to each other.
What you'll be able to do
When a page loads slowly, breaks, or behaves strangely, you'll be able to actually narrow down which layer is responsible — a DNS problem, a slow server response, or something in the page's own code — instead of guessing. That diagnostic instinct is the real foundation every other web or networking skill in this curriculum builds on top of.
Syllabus
Leads to
Frequently asked
Roughly 1 hour across 8 hands-on quests — you can go at your own pace and pick up exactly where you left off.
You should be comfortable with Data & Applications first — the skill tree unlocks How the Web Works once you've cleared those.
Yes — How the Web Works is fully available on the free tier, starting with a free first quest and no payment method required to sign up. Plus and Elite remove pacing limits but don't gate any of the How the Web Works curriculum behind a paywall.
Create a free account and begin your first quest — no card required.
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