Using WebSockets to Power Live Notifications in Your App

In today’s fast-paced digital world, users expect instant feedback and updates from the applications they use. Whether it’s receiving a new message, seeing an order status update, or being notified about a system event, live notifications have become an essential feature in modern web applications.

To implement real-time features like these, WebSockets offer a powerful solution. Unlike traditional HTTP requests, WebSockets allow a persistent, bi-directional connection between the client and server. This enables your app to send and receive updates in real time without refreshing the page or making repeated API calls.

In this guide, we’ll explore how WebSockets work, how to implement them for live notifications, and how to build a simple real-time notification system.

What Are WebSockets?

WebSockets are a communication protocol that enables full-duplex communication between a client (typically a browser) and a server over a single TCP connection.

Key Features

Persistent connection after initial handshake
Enables real-time, two-way communication
Low latency compared to polling or long-polling
Ideal for chat apps, collaborative tools, dashboards, and notifications

When to Use WebSockets

WebSockets are ideal for:

Live chat applications
Notification systems
Collaborative editing tools
Live dashboards or analytics
Multiplayer games
IoT device monitoring

If your app needs to push data to users as soon as it changes, WebSockets are your friend.

Setting Up a WebSocket Server (Node.js + `ws`)

First, install the ws library:

npm install ws

Then, set up a basic WebSocket server:

// server.js
const WebSocket = require('ws');

const wss = new WebSocket.Server({ port: 3001 });

wss.on('connection', ws => {
  console.log('Client connected');

  ws.on('message', message => {
    console.log(`Received: ${message}`);
  });

  // Send a welcome notification
  ws.send(JSON.stringify({ type: 'notification', message: 'Welcome to the app!' }));
});

Creating a WebSocket Client (Browser)

On the frontend, you can create a WebSocket client using plain JavaScript:

const socket = new WebSocket('ws://localhost:3001');

socket.onmessage = event => {
  const data = JSON.parse(event.data);
  if (data.type === 'notification') {
    alert(`Notification: ${data.message}`);
  }
};

This connection stays open, allowing the server to push new messages to the client at any time.

Broadcasting Notifications to All Clients

To notify all connected users:

function broadcast(data) {
  wss.clients.forEach(client => {
    if (client.readyState === WebSocket.OPEN) {
      client.send(JSON.stringify(data));
    }
  });
}

// Example usage:
broadcast({ type: 'notification', message: 'A new update is available!' });

You can hook this into your backend logic , for example, broadcasting a notification when a new order is placed or when a user receives a message.

Securing WebSocket Connections

For production:

Use WSS (WebSocket Secure) over HTTPS
Implement authentication during or after the handshake
Use tokens or cookies to validate users
Rate-limit or throttle message frequency
Set up reconnection logic on the client in case the connection drops

Alternatives and Enhancements

Use Socket.IO for advanced features like reconnection, rooms, and fallbacks
Consider SignalR if you’re working with .NET
Use Redis pub/sub or Kafka for scaling across multiple instances

For a full-stack app, you can also integrate WebSockets with Next.js, React, or Vue via context or hooks for state updates.

Conclusion

WebSockets bring real-time interaction to your web apps, elevating user experience through live updates and seamless communication. Whether you’re building a notification system, chat interface, or data dashboard, mastering WebSockets can take your frontend responsiveness and backend efficiency to the next level.

By combining persistent connections with smart backend logic, your app can deliver the immediacy today’s users expect , without overwhelming your infrastructure.

Disclaimer

Article written with the help of AI.

Read the full Disclaimer HERE

Using WebSockets to Power Live Notifications in Your App