The HTTP protocol functions as a communication protocol used for transferring hypertext across the web. It operates on a client-server model where a user’s browser (the client) requests a resource from a web server. The server then sends an HTTP response, usually containing HTML documents. HTTP defines how messages are formatted and transmitted, while providing status codes to denote the response outcomes, such as success or errors. This interaction enables the seamless browsing experience that users expect when accessing web content.