Implement real-time functionality using WebSockets, Server-Sent Events (SSE), or long polling. Use when building chat applications, live dashboards, collaborative editing, notifications, or any feature requiring instant updates.

Real Time Features Table of Contents [Overview]( overview) [When to Use]( when to use) [Quick Start]( quick start) [Reference Guides]( reference guides) [Best Practices]( best practices) Overview Implement real time bidirectional communication between clients and servers for instant data synchronization and live updates. When to Use Chat and messaging applications Live dashboards and analytics Collaborative editing (Google Docs style) Real time notifications Live sports scores or stock tickers Multiplayer games Live auctions or bidding systems IoT device monitoring Real time location tracking Quick Start Minimal working example: Reference Guides Detailed implementations in the references/ directory: Guide Contents [WebSocket Server (Node.js)](references/websocket server nodejs.md) WebSocket Server (Node.js) [WebSocket Client (React)](references/websocket client react.md) WebSocket Client (React) [Server Sent Events (SSE)](references/server sent events sse.md) Server Sent Events (SSE) [Socket.IO (Production Ready)](references/socketio production ready.md) Socket.IO (Production Ready) Best Practices ✅ DO Implement reconnection logic with exponential backoff Use heartbeat/ping pong to detect dead connections Validate and sanitize all messages Implement authentication and authorization Handle connection limits and rate limiting Use compression for large payloads Implement proper error handling Monitor connection health Use rooms/channels for targeted messaging Implement graceful shutdown ❌ DON'T Send sensitive data without encryption Keep connections open indefinitely without cleanup Broadcast to all users when targeted messaging suffices Ignore connection state management Send large payloads frequently Skip message validation Forget about mobile/unstable connections Ignore scaling considerations

real-time-features