A web server does more than simply receive an HTTP request and return a response. Modern applications often require several processing steps, including authentication, redirects, header manipulation, compression, caching, and reverse proxying. Caddy handles these operations through a powerful request-processing architecture known as the HTTP handler chain. Understanding how Caddy’s handler chain works is particularly useful when configuring reverse proxies or troubleshooting unexpected request behavior. Instead of treating each configuration directive as an isolated instruction, administrators can understand Caddy as a sequence of handlers that process a request in a defined order. This article explains the fundamentals of Caddy’s HTTP handler chain, how handlers interact, and how the chain affects real-world web traffic. What Is a Caddy HTTP Handler? In …
