Modern web applications are split into two parts. The frontend renders pages and buttons inside your browser. The backend API holds the data and enforces the rules. Every meaningful user action becomes a structured HTTP request from the browser to the API.
Scope reminder: inspect and replay API requests only against systems you own or are explicitly authorized to test. The bundled NovaCart application instance is the authorized lab target for this lesson.
In this lesson you will use the embedded NovaCart application and your browser's developer tools to:
- Watch a
GETrequest go out when you search for a product. - Watch a
POSTrequest go out when you add an item to your basket and when you submit feedback. - Read the Request URL, Request Method, Request Payload / JSON body, Response JSON, and Status Code for each one.
You will leave with one durable idea:
The browser is not "the application." It is a client talking to the application's API.
Estimated time: 10 to 15 minutes.
Prerequisites: http-fundamentals for request/response anatomy, web-application-anatomy for frontend/backend separation, and browser-recon for DevTools. Register a normal user account in NovaCart and log in; no administrative privileges are required.
When you are ready, send the Continue signal.