What does AJAX stand for?

AJAX stands for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML. It describes a group of web-development techniques that lets a page exchange data with a server in the background and update part of its interface without a full reload.

The approach became prominent in the mid-2000s, when websites such as Google Maps demonstrated more interactive browser experiences. JavaScript coordinates the request and updates the page, while the word “asynchronous” refers to continuing to use the interface while the network operation runs. XML was an early data format, but modern AJAX applications commonly exchange JSON instead.

AJAX is not a single programming language, protocol, or browser product. It is a pattern built from existing web technologies, traditionally including JavaScript, the XMLHttpRequest API, and the Document Object Model. The term can therefore remain accurate even when an application uses JSON, fetch(), or other modern tools instead of XML.