WebSockets in Go

Go's standard library handles WebSockets by hijacking the HTTP connection to bypass the HTTP protocol layer. Use the http.Hijacker interface on the ResponseWriter to take control of the underlying net.Conn and perform the WebSocket handshake manually.

if hijacker, ok := w.(http.Hijacker); ok {
    conn, bufrw, err := hijacker.Hijack()
    if err != nil {
        http.Error(w, err.Error(), http.StatusInternalServerError)
        return
    }
    defer conn.Close()
    // Perform WebSocket handshake on conn/bufrw here
}

WebSockets in Go work by taking over the existing network connection instead of sending standard HTTP requests. Think of it like a waiter stopping a normal order to open a direct, two-way phone line with the kitchen for real-time updates. You use the Hijack method to grab that connection and manage the chat yourself.