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How do you scale WebSockets in distributed systems?

Updated May 6, 2026

Short answer

WebSockets are scaled using load balancers, sticky sessions, and message brokers.

Deep explanation

Since WebSockets are stateful, scaling requires session persistence (sticky sessions) or centralized message brokers like Redis Pub/Sub or Kafka to broadcast messages across nodes.

Real-world example

Large chat systems like Slack or Discord.

Common mistakes

  • Using stateless load balancing without session affinity.

Follow-up questions

  • What is sticky session?
  • Why use Redis in WebSockets?

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