What is HTTP/2?

HTTP/2, standardized in 2015, addresses performance limitations of HTTP/1.1. Key features include multiplexing (multiple requests/responses over a single TCP connection without head-of-line blocking), HPACK header compression (reducing redundant header data), server push (proactively sending resources before the client requests them), stream prioritization, and binary framing (more efficient than text-based HTTP/1.1). HTTP/2 dramatically reduces page load times by eliminating the need for performance workarounds like domain sharding, CSS sprites, and inline resources. Most web servers (Nginx, Apache) and CDNs support HTTP/2 with TLS.