Short Polling
Noun · Development
Definitions
A client-side technique where the browser or application repeatedly sends HTTP requests to the server at fixed intervals (e.g., every 2 seconds) to check for new data, as opposed to maintaining a persistent connection like WebSockets or long polling.
In plain English: Repeatedly asking the server 'got anything new?' on a timer, like refreshing your inbox every few seconds.
Example: "We're short polling the /notifications endpoint every 5 seconds, which is hammering the server — we need to switch to SSE."