Combining Node.js and WebSockets Technologies for Your Next Web App

Node.js WebSocket is a common duo seen together in the web industry, known to be particularly useful for real-time connection. They enable many popular applications today, such as live chatrooms and live streaming, providing people with forms of live communication!

Steven Ang Cheong Seng

Steven Ang Cheong Seng

15 May 2025

Combining Node.js and WebSockets Technologies for Your Next Web App

Node.js Websockets, when put together, is a combination of two popular technologies web developers can use to build real-time web applications.

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It is crucial to understand that "Node.js WebSockets" refers to two different technologies being used collaboratively to create real-time web applications. They should not be considered a single entity. Without further ado, let us first understand what Node.js and WebSockets are at their core.

What is Node.js?

Node.js is an open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that allows its users to run JavaScript code outside of a web browser. Node.js, therefore, does not limit the various software applications and systems that can make use of JavaScript coding!

nodejs website ai tool javascript
Click on the picture if you're interested in trying Node.js!

Key Features That Make Node.js Attractive to Developers

When Should You Consider Using Node.js for Your Projects

Node.js is primarily known for building software beyond traditional web pages. Therefore, you can strongly consider using Node.js in part of your software if you plan to have such use cases:

Benefits of Using Node.js as Part of Your Software

What are WebSockets?

WebSockets are a communication protocol that allows real-time, back-and-forth communication between a client (such as a web browser) and a server. They also enable both clients and servers to send and receive messages simultaneously, permitting a more interactive and responsive experience for software.

Do note that WebSockets are a protocol, meaning that they do not fall into any file type. However, you still have to pay attention to a WebSocket's security!

Key Features that Differentiate WebSockets from Other Protocols

Potential Benefits You Can Gain from Using WebSockets

How to Combine Node.js and WebSockets to Make Web Applications?

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to build real-time web applications with Node.js and WebSockets!

  1. Choose a library:

There are a few popular libraries that you can choose from to help you implement WebSockets in Node.js:

2. Set up your Node.js server:

Create a Node.js server using modules like http or express. This server will listen for incoming connections and handle routing and other server-side logic.

3. Implement WebSocket:

In this step, you should also define event handlers for different scenarios:

4. Client-side integration:

On the client side (usually in a web browser), you can use JavaScript libraries like ws or socket.io-client to connect to your WebSocket server.

Code Snippet of Node.js and WebSockets (Basic Chat Application Example)

Most web applications you can find today have corresponding front and back-end portions. Here are the samples of both Node.js and WebSockets technologies working cohesively in a simple chat application sample.

Server-side (Back-end) Code [Node.js]

const WebSocket = require('ws');

const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 8080 });

wss.on('connection', (ws) => {
  console.log('Client connected');

  ws.on('message', (message) => {
    console.log(`Client message: ${message}`);
    wss.clients.forEach((client) => {
      if (client.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
        client.send(message);
      }
    });
  });

  ws.on('close', () => {
    console.log('Client disconnected');
  });
});

console.log('WebSocket server listening on port 8080');

Code Explanation:

Client-side (Front-end) Code [Javascript]

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
  <meta charset="UTF-8">
  <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
  <title>WebSocket Chat</title>
</head>
<body>
  <input type="text" id="message" placeholder="Type your message..." />
  <button id="send">Send</button>
  <div id="messages"></div>

  <script>
    const ws = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:8080');

    ws.onopen = () => {
      console.log('Connected to server');
    };

    ws.onmessage = (event) => {
      const message = event.data;
      console.log(`Received message: ${message}`);
      const messagesDiv = document.getElementById('messages');
      messagesDiv.innerHTML += `<p>${message}</p>`;
    };

    const sendButton = document.getElementById('send');
    sendButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
      const messageInput = document.getElementById('message');
      const message = messageInput.value;
      ws.send(message);
      messageInput.value = '';
    });
  </script>
</body>
</html>

Code Explanation:

Building APIs with Node.js and WebSockets (Shown with Code Snippets)

You can also create your own APIs to use within your recently created web application! (Please do note that the code provided in this article is only for demonstration purposes.)

1. Set up Node.js Environment:

2. Install Required Libraries:

You will need to install the ws library for WebSockets by running this line of code: npm install ws. You will also have to install a web framework for routing and handling HTTP requests, such as using Express via this line of code: npm install express.

3. Create the WebSocket Server (JavaScript):

const WebSocket = require('ws');
const express = require('express'); // If using Express

const app = express(); // If using Express
const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 8080 });

// HTTP request handling (if using Express)
app.get('/', (req, res) => {
  res.send('Hello, world!');
});

// WebSocket connection handling
wss.on('connection', (ws) => {
  console.log('Client connected');

  ws.on('message', (message) => {
    console.log(`Received message: ${message}`);
    // Process the message and potentially send a response
  });

  ws.on('close', () => {
    console.log('Client disconnected');
  });
});

// Start the server
app.listen(8080, () => {
  console.log('Server listening on port 8080');
});

After this step, you can now access the WebSocket Server via the WebSocket URL, like ws://localhost:8080.

4. Define the API Endpoints (JavaScript):

ws.on('message', (message) => {
  const data = JSON.parse(message);
  const action = data.action;

  if (action === 'getData') {
    ws.send(JSON.stringify({ data: 'Some data' }));
  } else if (action === 'sendMessage') {
    // Handle message sending logic
  }
});

5. Craft Client-Side Interaction (JavaScript):

const ws = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:8080');

ws.onopen = () => {
  console.log('Connected to server');
  ws.send(JSON.stringify({ action: 'getData' }));
};

ws.onmessage = (event) => {
  const response = JSON.parse(event.data);
  console.log(response);
};

Apidog - Ideal Testing API Platform

Once you have created your Node.js WebSocket web application, you will need to test it to make sure it runs as intended.

Apidog is the perfect all-in-one solution to all your API problems. Not only can you test single endpoints of an API, but you can also create a multiple-step testing scenario to ensure that your API is ready for publication!

apidog api design first development platform
Apidog - Design-first Development Platform

As you already have your WebSocket server running on the URL (as this article uses the ws://localhost:8080 URL), we can begin by creating a WebSocket request!

Creating a WebSocket Request Using Apidog

create new api request apidog
Create a new WebSocket Request using Apidog

First, create a new API request solely for testing your Node.js WebSocket API or application. You can also use the shortcut Ctrl + T to instantly create a new request.

insert details api request apidog
Fill in the details of your New WebSocket Request

You should be able to see a blank, unnamed request. Here, you can craft a specific API URL, set the desired HTTP method, and include query parameters that you plan to test your Node.js WebSocket API or application with.

Conclusion

The combination of Node.js and WebSocket technologies can enable developers to create interesting and useful applications. They are especially powerful in enabling functionalities like real-time chatrooms and live streaming!

Apidog can also accommodate the creation and modification of WebSocket requests whenever necessary. Aside from requests, users can also build, test, debug, and mock APIs with Apidog.

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