HTTP Headers, Authentication, and Bearer Tokens
Understand HTTP headers, how authentication works with bearer tokens, and the difference between cookies and token-based auth.
When you make an API request, the URL and body get all the attention. But there's a whole layer of metadata that travels with every request and response that most beginners never think about — HTTP headers.
Headers are like the envelope around a letter. The letter (body) has the content, but the envelope tells the postal service where it's going, who sent it, what kind of content is inside, and whether the recipient needs to show ID to receive it.
If you've ever gotten a mysterious 401 error, been confused by CORS, or wondered how an API knows who you are — the answer is in the headers.
What Are HTTP Headers?
Headers are key-value pairs sent with every HTTP request and response. They carry metadata — information about the request itself, not the data you're sending.
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