HTTP header workflow
Inspect HTTP response headers before shipping a change
Header regressions are easy to miss. Review caching, security, and content headers together instead of one at a time.
Check headers by category
Group headers by purpose so a missing security header does not get lost among caching details.
Paste the response headers
Copy the raw headers from the browser network tab or an API client.
Review caching behavior
Confirm cache-control and related headers match intent.
Review security headers
Check for missing protections relevant to the endpoint.
Confirm content type
Verify the content type matches what the client expects.
Headers worth checking
- Content-Type and charset
- Cache-Control and Expires
- CORS headers such as Access-Control-Allow-Origin
- Security headers such as Content-Security-Policy
- Location for redirect responses
Header regressions that slip through
- A caching header change affects more routes than intended
- A security header is removed during a proxy or CDN change
- The content type does not match the actual response body
- Headers differ between environments without anyone noticing
Keep headers consistent
- Compare headers across environments before release
- Document the intended value for each critical header
- Re-check headers after CDN or proxy configuration changes
- Automate a basic header check in the deployment pipeline
Frequently asked questions
What is the most common header mistake?
Missing CORS headers on APIs, which browsers enforce even when the server responds correctly.
Can I inspect headers without a browser?
Yes. Paste the raw header block into the header analyzer or fetch a URL and review the captured headers.
Which security headers should be present?
Content-Security-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, X-Frame-Options, and Referrer-Policy are the common baseline.
Is the request data stored?
No. Header inspection runs locally; nothing is uploaded.
Header review runs locally
Pasted headers are analyzed in the browser. Remove authorization or cookie values before sharing a header dump.
Open HTTP Header Analyzer