# Protocols

URL: /docs/protocols/
Section: protocols
Tags: protocols, http, websocket

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Pounce supports multiple protocols through a modular handler system. The core ships with HTTP/1.1 via h11. HTTP/2 and WebSocket are optional extras. HTTP/1.1 Default protocol — h11 (pure Python) or httptools (C-accelerated) The foundation of Pounce's request handling. HTTP/2 Stream multiplexing, header compression, priority signals Install with pounce[h2]. WebSocket Full-duplex communication, including WebSocket over HTTP/2 Install with pounce[ws]. Protocol Detection For TLS connections, Pounce uses ALPN (Application-Layer Protocol Negotiation) to select between HTTP/1.1 and HTTP/2. For plain connections, HTTP/1.1 is used by default. WebSocket connections start as HTTP/1.1 (or HTTP/2) and upgrade via the standard upgrade mechanism.

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