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gorilla/websocket

★ 24,713GoAudience · developerComplexity · 2/5StaleLicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

A Go library for building real-time two-way connections between servers and clients using WebSockets, enabling instant messaging and live updates without repeated polling.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      WebSocket protocol
      Persistent connections
      Real-time messaging
    Use cases
      Chat applications
      Live notifications
      Collaborative editing
      Score feeds
    Tech stack
      Go language
      WebSocket standard
    Key features
      Fast and tested
      Protocol compliant
      Production stable

Things people build with this

USE CASE 1

Build a chat application where messages appear instantly without page refreshes.

USE CASE 2

Create a live sports scoreboard that updates all connected users in real time.

USE CASE 3

Add push notifications to a web app so users see alerts immediately.

USE CASE 4

Build a collaborative document editor where multiple users see changes as they happen.

Tech stack

GoWebSocket

Getting it running

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

Gorilla WebSocket is a Go programming language library that implements the WebSocket protocol, a standard for keeping a persistent, two-way connection open between a web browser (or any client) and a server. Unlike normal HTTP requests that close after each response, a WebSocket connection stays open so both sides can send messages to each other at any time, without the client needing to repeatedly ask "any updates yet?" This matters for real-time applications: chat apps, live score feeds, collaborative editing tools, push notifications, and anything that needs instant updates rather than page refreshes. Without WebSockets, you would have to poll the server repeatedly, which is slower and wastes bandwidth. The Gorilla WebSocket package is described as fast, well-tested, and widely used within the Go ecosystem. It passes the industry-standard Autobahn Test Suite for protocol compliance, meaning it correctly implements the WebSocket specification. Go developers add it to their projects with a single command and use it to handle WebSocket connections on both the server side and the client side. It is part of the broader Gorilla web toolkit for Go. The API is stable, making it reliable for production use.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to set up a basic WebSocket server in Go using Gorilla WebSocket that accepts connections and broadcasts messages to all connected clients.
Prompt 2
How do I handle WebSocket disconnections gracefully in Gorilla WebSocket and clean up resources when a client drops?
Prompt 3
Write a simple Go WebSocket client using Gorilla that connects to a server, sends a message, and listens for responses.
Prompt 4
What's the best way to structure a real-time chat application in Go using Gorilla WebSocket with multiple rooms or channels?
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Generated 2026-05-18 · Model: sonnet-4-6 · Verify against the repo before relying on details.