How to Use Context with HTTP Requests in Go

Use context.WithTimeout or context.WithCancel to create a context, then pass it to http.NewRequestWithContext to ensure the request respects the deadline or cancellation signal.

ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 5*time.Second)
defer cancel()

req, err := http.NewRequestWithContext(ctx, "GET", "https://example.com", nil)
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

resp, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
if err != nil {
    log.Fatal(err)
}

A context acts like a timer or a stop button for your network requests. It tells your code to stop waiting if the server takes too long or if you decide to cancel the action. Think of it like ordering food at a restaurant and telling the waiter to bring it within 10 minutes or bring it back to the kitchen.