What is the role of the x- prefix in HTTP headers and why is it used?

The X- prefix in HTTP headers was historically used to denote non-standard, custom, or experimental headers that are not part of the official HTTP standards.

Why is this needed:

• To avoid conflicts with future standard headers.
• To explicitly indicate that the header is specific to a particular application or service.

For example, X-Requested-With is often used to indicate that a request was made via AJAX.

However, in modern HTTP specifications, the use of the X- prefix is discouraged, and it is preferable to use headers without it to avoid confusion and facilitate standardization.