Files
cpp-httplib/docs-src/pages/en/cookbook/w01-websocket-echo.md
T
yhirose 9bfd2ddf1c Fix README and docs pages that no longer match the code
Bring the READMEs and the docs pages (en and ja) in line with the
current header:

- Fix the client sample that does not compile, the Transfer-Encoding
  statement for default headers, the verifier callback comment, the
  thread pool spawn rule, the sanitize_filename description, and the
  inverted Accept-Encoding sentence.
- Describe recent behaviour: TLS errors behind Read/Write failures,
  Host validation, Connection: close for a body without length,
  content_reader rules, refused CONNECT, WebSocketClient proxies,
  CPPHTTPLIB_INTERIM_RESPONSE_MAX_COUNT, the SSE event size limit, and
  the payload limit of the Stream API.
- Complete the API references of WebSocket, WebSocketClient and the
  stream:: helpers, and the SSE reconnect rules.
- Fix cookbook pages: keychain loading on every backend, received Close
  status, a multipart sample that trusted the client's file name, an
  echo sample that sent binary as text, SNI, pre-request handler scope,
  stop() with WebSocket handlers, and the thread pool notes.
- Restore the mutex in the LLM app's Chapter 5 code.
2026-10-18 10:13:57 -04:00

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---
title: "W01. Implement a WebSocket Echo Server and Client"
order: 52
status: "draft"
---
WebSocket is a protocol for **two-way** messaging between client and server. cpp-httplib provides APIs for both sides. Let's start with the simplest example: an echo server.
## Server: echo server
```cpp
#include <httplib.h>
int main() {
httplib::Server svr;
svr.WebSocket("/echo", [](const httplib::Request &req, httplib::ws::WebSocket &ws) {
std::string msg;
while (ws.is_open()) {
auto result = ws.read(msg);
if (result == httplib::ws::ReadResult::Fail) {
break;
}
// echo back what we received, in the same frame type
if (result == httplib::ws::ReadResult::Binary) {
ws.send(msg.data(), msg.size());
} else {
ws.send(msg);
}
}
});
svr.listen("0.0.0.0", 8080);
}
```
Register a WebSocket handler with `svr.WebSocket()`. By the time the handler runs, the WebSocket handshake is already complete. Inside the loop, just `ws.read()` and `ws.send()` to get a working echo. A binary message goes back through the `data()` + `size()` overload so it stays binary (more on that below).
The `read()` return value is a `ReadResult` enum:
- `ReadResult::Text`: received a text message
- `ReadResult::Binary`: received a binary message
- `ReadResult::Fail`: error, or connection closed
- `ReadResult::Timeout`: a read timeout you set with `set_read_timeout()` elapsed with nothing received; the connection is still open. The compile-time default timeout closes the connection and is reported as `Fail` instead — see [W06. Set Timeouts](../w06-websocket-timeouts)
## Client: talk to the echo server
```cpp
#include <httplib.h>
int main() {
httplib::ws::WebSocketClient cli("ws://localhost:8080/echo");
if (!cli.connect()) {
std::cerr << "failed to connect" << std::endl;
return 1;
}
cli.send("Hello, WebSocket!");
std::string msg;
if (cli.read(msg) != httplib::ws::ReadResult::Fail) {
std::cout << "received: " << msg << std::endl;
}
cli.close();
}
```
Use a `ws://` (plain) or `wss://` (TLS) URL. Call `connect()` to do the handshake, then `send()` and `read()` work the same as on the server side.
## Text vs. binary
`send()` has two overloads that let you choose the frame type.
```cpp
ws.send("Hello"); // text frame
ws.send(binary_data, binary_data_size); // binary frame
```
The `std::string` overload sends as **text**; the `const char*` + size overload sends as **binary**. A bit subtle, but once you know it, it's intuitive. See [W04. Send and receive binary frames](../w04-websocket-binary) for details.
## Thread pool implications
A WebSocket handler holds its worker thread for the entire life of the connection — one connection per thread. The default pool already grows under load, up to 4× its base thread count. For many concurrent clients, raise that maximum.
```cpp
svr.new_task_queue = [] {
return new httplib::ThreadPool(8, 128);
};
```
See [S21. Configure the thread pool](../s21-thread-pool).
> **Note:** To run WebSocket over HTTPS, use `httplib::SSLServer` instead of `httplib::Server` — the same `WebSocket()` handler just works. On the client side, use a `wss://` URL. For CA and client certificate configuration, see [W05. Configure TLS for wss:// Connections](../w05-websocket-tls).