Uploaded October 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
HTTP is designed to be a stateless protocol. But in many cases websites want to store information about users across multiple requests. For example, consider a checkout process where what the user is purchasing, where the items are being shipped, and payment information need to be retained across multiple requests. To do this, websites typically establish what are called sessions containing data that persists across multiple visits from the same client. Cookies are used to identify the clients themselves.
Credits: Talking: Geoffrey Challen (Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo). Producing: Greg Bunyea (Undergraduate, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo).
Part of the internet-class.org online internet course. A blue Systems Research Group (https://blue.cse.buffalo.edu) production.
HTTP is designed to be a stateless protocol. But in many cases websites want to store information about users across multiple requests. For example, consider a checkout process where what the user is purchasing, where the items are being shipped, and payment information need to be retained across multiple requests. To do this, websites typically establish what are called sessions containing data that persists across multiple visits from the same client. Cookies are used to identify the clients themselves.
Credits: Talking: Geoffrey Challen (Assistant Professor, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo). Producing: Greg Bunyea (Undergraduate, Computer Science and Engineering, University at Buffalo).
Part of the internet-class.org online internet course. A blue Systems Research Group (https://blue.cse.buffalo.edu) production.
