What Is the Purpose of a Web Browser?

The main purpose of a web browser is to locate, retrieve and display information from the World Wide Web. The browser retrieves code, typically written in HTML, PHP, JavaScript or other web programming languages, from the server, then interprets the code and renders it as a graphic web page for viewing.

Web browsers use the client server model, where the browser is the client being run on a personal computer, and contacts the web server when requesting information. Once the server receives the request, it sends back the information, which is displayed on the browser application. Web browsers are program applications that are typically free to download and use.