# Overview Short polling is... #flashcard A polling approach where the client regularly polls the server for updates with something like a HTTP request. <!--ID: 1751507777115--> # Key Considerations for Short Polling #flashcard To make short polling for efficient, you can use set an HTTP keep-alive, which is longer than the polling interval. This means the TCP connection only needs to be established once, thus minimizing overhead. <!--ID: 1751507777117--> # Pros of Short Polling #flashcard - Simple to implement - [[stateless]] - No special infrastructure needed - Works with any standard networking infrastructure - Doesn't take much time to explain <!--ID: 1751507777119--> # Cons of Short Polling #flashcard - Higher latency than other methods. Updates might be delayed as long as the polling interval + the time it takes to process the request - Limited update frequency - More bandwidth usage - Can be resource-intensive with many clients, establishing new connections, etc. <!--ID: 1751507777122--> # Use Cases - Appropriate when the window where you need updates is short - [[Design a Coding Platform]] # Related Topics --- Items to discuss when using short polling in a system design interview: #flashcard - Most common objection from interviewers is either that it's too slow or that it's not efficient - Discuss why the polling frequency you've chosen is appropriate and sufficient for the problem - Discuss how you can reduce the overhead. - One way to do this is to take advantage of HTTP keep-alive connections. Setting an HTTP keep-alive which is longer than the polling interval will mean that, in most cases, you'll only need to establish a TCP connection once which minimizes some of the setup and teardown overhead. <!--ID: 1752427993559--> ---