When you type an address like example.com and press Enter, several things happen in about a second.
1. Finding the server (DNS)
Computers find each other by numbers (IP addresses). DNS is like a phone book: it turns the name into the server's number.
2. Asking for the page (HTTP)
Your browser sends a request to that server: "please send me the home page". With https, the request is encrypted so nobody in between can read it.
3. The server answers
The server (for example, a Node.js program) sends back files:
- HTML — the content and structure: headings, text, images.
- CSS — the look: colours, fonts, layout.
- JavaScript — the behaviour: buttons, games, live updates.
4. The browser draws the page
The browser reads the HTML, applies the CSS and runs the JavaScript. Images and fonts load in the background.
What you need for your own site
- A domain name (about $15 a year).
- Hosting — a computer that runs your site all the time.
- Your files — HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and a server if you need logins or a database.
This very site is built exactly this way.