HTTP Header Parser

What Are HTTP Headers?

HTTP headers are key-value pairs sent between a client and server in HTTP requests and responses. They carry metadata about the request or response, such as content type, authentication credentials, caching policies, and more. Headers are essential for how the web works — they enable features like content negotiation, security controls, session management, and cross-origin resource sharing.

This parser helps you understand any HTTP headers you encounter by breaking them down into a readable format, providing descriptions for standard headers, and flagging potential security issues.

How to Use This Parser

1. Copy headers from your browser's Developer Tools (Network tab), a curl -v response, or any HTTP client output.
2. Paste the raw headers into the text area. The parser handles both request headers (starting with METHOD /path HTTP/1.1) and response headers (starting with HTTP/1.1 200 OK).
3. Click Parse or enable auto-parse to see the structured table with descriptions for each header.
4. Review security alerts — the tool flags missing security headers and suspicious values.
5. Use the sample button to see example output if you don't have headers handy.

Common HTTP Headers Reference

FAQs