Real-Time Apps with WebSockets in Python: Chat, Notifications, and Live Data

WebSockets enable real-time, bidirectional communication. Here's how to build real-time features that actually scale. WebSocket vs HTTP HTTP: Client asks, server answers. One request, one response. WebSocket: Both sides can send messages anytime. Persistent connection. Use WebSockets for: chat, live notifications, collaborative editing, live dashboards, multiplayer games. Basic WebSocket Server with FastAPI from fastapi import FastAPI , WebSocket , WebSocketDisconnect from typing import list app = FastAPI () class ConnectionManager : def __init__ ( self ): self . active_connections : list [ WebSocket ] = [] async def connect ( self , websocket : WebSocket ): await websocket . accept () self . active_connections . append ( websocket ) def disconnect ( self , websocket : WebSocket ): self . active_connections . remove ( websocket ) async def broadcast ( self , message : str ): for connection in self . active_connections : await connection . send_text ( message ) async def send_personal (