Web Communication Series: Understanding Short Polling with a Simple Node.js Example

When developers think about keeping the UI in sync with server-side changes, the knee-jerk solution is often WebSockets. And it makes sense — WebSockets offer a full-duplex connection, enabling real-time, bidirectional communication between client and server. But here’s the catch: Not every application needs that level of complexity. In many cases, especially when the data flows in just one direction (Server ➝ Client) — like a dashboard that fetches new stats or a feed that updates periodically — setting up WebSockets can be: Overkill Harder to scale Unnecessarily complex That’s where simpler, more tailored techniques come into play — short polling, long polling, Server-Sent Events (SSE), and more. These alternatives can be easier to implement, lightweight, and often more cost-effective when the use case doesn’t demand bi-directional messaging.

May 4, 2025 - 15:31

Web Communication Series: Understanding Short Polling with a Simple Node.js Example

When developers think about keeping the UI in sync with server-side changes, the knee-jerk solution is often WebSockets.

And it makes sense — WebSockets offer a full-duplex connection, enabling real-time, bidirectional communication between client and server.

But here’s the catch:

Not every application needs that level of complexity.

In many cases, especially when the data flows in just one direction (Server ➝ Client) — like a dashboard that fetches new stats or a feed that updates periodically — setting up WebSockets can be:

Overkill
Harder to scale
Unnecessarily complex

That’s where simpler, more tailored techniques come into play — short polling, long polling, Server-Sent Events (SSE), and more.

These alternatives can be easier to implement, lightweight, and often more cost-effective when the use case doesn’t demand bi-directional messaging.