A browser is a program that lets you view and use the web. Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge are examples. The browser's main job is to read the files received from a server and turn them into a visual page.
What happens when you type an address#
- The browser uses DNS to convert the domain name into the server's IP address.
- It sends an HTTP or HTTPS request to the server.
- The server sends the HTML and the browser reads it.
- CSS, JavaScript, image and font files are downloaded too.
- The browser combines everything and draws the page.
What it contains#
- A rendering engine that turns HTML and CSS into an image
- A JavaScript engine to run code
- A cache and cookies to store files and session information
- Management of passwords, extensions and privacy settings
- Developer tools for inspecting the page and errors
Why it matters to site owners#
Your site may look slightly different in different browsers. So it is wise to test at least on two or three major browsers and on a phone. Developer tools (the F12 key) are very useful for finding errors and checking speed.
A common mistake#
People confuse the browser with the search engine. A browser is the program that displays the web, and Google is a search engine that you open with a browser.