Can I Customize HTTP Headers in the WebSocket API?

HTTP Headers in WebSocket Client API

It's commonly known that customizing HTTP headers can be achieved with HTTP header clients that support this feature. But how do you accomplish this specifically with the WebSocket API in the web platform?

Is It Possible?

In short, the answer is no. Only the path and protocol field can be specified.

Longer Explanation

There's no built-in method in the JavaScript WebSocket API for setting additional headers. However, you can specify the HTTP path ("GET /xyz") and protocol header ("Sec-WebSocket-Protocol") during the WebSocket constructor initialization.

The Sec-WebSocket-Protocol header, which can be used for websocket-specific authentication, is derived from the optional second argument of the constructor:

var ws = new WebSocket("ws://example.com/path", "protocol");
var ws = new WebSocket("ws://example.com/path", ["protocol1", "protocol2"]);

Possible Solution

A common approach to handle WebSocket authentication/authorization is through a ticketing system. Here, the page hosting the WebSocket client requests a ticket from the server and includes it in the connection setup (e.g., in the URL/query string, protocol field, or as the first message after establishing the connection). The server then verifies the ticket for validity and authorizes the connection if it passes.

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