Alt-Svc
The Alt-Svc
HTTP header allows a server to indicate that another network location (the "alternative service") can be treated as authoritative for that origin when making future requests.
Doing so allows new protocol versions to be advertised without affecting in-flight requests, and can also help servers manage traffic. Using an alternative service is not visible to the end user; it does not change the URL or the origin of the request, and does not introduce extra round trips.
Syntax
http
Alt-Svc: clear
Alt-Svc: <protocol-id>=<alt-authority>; ma=<max-age>
Alt-Svc: <protocol-id>=<alt-authority>; ma=<max-age>; persist=1
clear
-
The special value
clear
indicates that the origin requests all alternative services for that origin to be invalidated. <protocol-id>
-
The ALPN protocol identifier. Examples include
h2
for HTTP/2 andh3-25
for draft 25 of the HTTP/3 protocol. -
The quoted string specifying the alternative authority which consists of an optional host override, a colon, and a mandatory port number.
ma=<max-age>
Optional-
The number of seconds for which the alternative service is considered fresh. If omitted, it defaults to 24 hours. Alternative service entries can be cached for up to <max-age> seconds, minus the age of the response (from the
Age
header). Once the cached entry expires, the client can no longer use this alternative service for new connections. persist=1
Optional-
Usually cached alternative service entries are cleared on network configuration changes. Use of the
persist=1
parameter requests that the entry not be deleted by such changes.
Multiple entries can be specified in a single Alt-Svc
header using comma as separator.
In that case, early entries are considered more preferable.
Example
http
Alt-Svc: h2=":443"; ma=2592000;
Alt-Svc: h2=":443"; ma=2592000; persist=1
Alt-Svc: h2="alt.example.com:443", h2=":443"
Alt-Svc: h3-25=":443"; ma=3600, h2=":443"; ma=3600
Specifications
Specification |
---|
HTTP Alternative Services # alt-svc |
Browser compatibility
BCD tables only load in the browser
See also
- Alternative Services (article about
Alt-Svc
by HTTP Working Group chair Mark Nottingham)