HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) is a standard communication protocol used on the Internet to exchange hypertext files between a web browser (client) and a web server. It operates on a client-server model where the client sends requests, consisting of a method (GET, POST, etc.), a path, the protocol version, and headers, and the server responds with a status code and headers. HTTP/1 and HTTP/2 differ in their connection handling: HTTP/1 processes one request per TCP connection, while HTTP/2 allows multiple requests to be sent over a single connection. This protocol thus facilitates the loading and display of web pages, notably by managing response codes and cookies.