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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteThe User Datagram Protocol (UDP) is a transport protocol that lets applications exchange messages, called datagrams, over IP. It uses port numbers to direct each datagram to an application, but does not itself guarantee delivery, ordering, or protection against duplicates.
What UDP means
UDP stands for User Datagram Protocol. It sits above IP and provides a simple way for one application to send a discrete message to another. IP addresses identify network endpoints; port numbers help identify the sending and receiving applications. RFC 8095 describes a UDP endpoint as an IP address and port number together.
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As RFC 768 puts it, UDP is “transaction oriented, and delivery and duplicate protection are not guaranteed.” In practical terms, UDP sends datagrams without first establishing a transport connection and leaves additional delivery behavior to the application.
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What a UDP datagram contains
Each UDP datagram consists of a header followed by its data. RFC 768 defines four header fields:
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- Source port: Identifies the sending application’s port. It may be omitted by setting it to zero.
- Destination port: Identifies the receiving application’s port in the context of the destination IP address.
- Length: Gives the length of the UDP header and data together.
- Checksum: Covers information from IP, the UDP header, and the data to help detect errors.
The four fields occupy eight octets, so eight octets is the minimum UDP datagram length, even when it carries no data. A checksum is not confirmation that the datagram arrived: UDP provides no such delivery guarantee.
What UDP does—and does not—guarantee
UDP has no transport-layer handshake before sending datagrams. It also does not guarantee that a datagram will arrive, that datagrams will arrive in sending order, or that a receiver will not see duplicates. Applications that need any of those behaviors must implement them themselves or use another protocol that supplies them.
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UDP is message-oriented: it sends datagrams rather than providing an ordered, reliable byte stream. RFC 768 points applications that require ordered, reliable stream delivery to TCP. That distinction is about built-in behavior, not an absolute performance ranking; whether UDP or another transport suits an application depends on what the application needs and on network conditions.
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| Behavior | UDP | TCP, as distinguished in RFC 768 |
|---|---|---|
| Transport setup | No transport-layer handshake before datagrams are sent. | Connection-oriented; RFC 768 contrasts UDP with TCP for applications requiring a reliable stream. |
| Data model | Discrete datagrams. | Ordered stream for applications needing reliable stream delivery. |
| Delivery and ordering | UDP itself guarantees neither delivery nor order, and does not prevent duplicates. | Identified by RFC 768 as the option for ordered, reliable stream delivery. |
| Application responsibility | Must add any required reliability, ordering, or duplicate handling. | Provides the reliable, ordered stream behavior described by RFC 768. |
This comparison describes transport behavior; it does not mean UDP is always faster or preferable. An application’s requirements determine which behavior is useful.
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Congestion still matters
UDP’s minimal transport behavior does not remove an application’s responsibility to use network capacity responsibly. RFC 8085 says applications and protocols using UDP as an Internet transport must use mechanisms that prevent congestion collapse and establish some fairness alongside concurrent traffic. Reliability and congestion control are separate concerns: an application may need to address both.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When UDP is an appropriate choice
UDP can fit an application designed around discrete datagrams that does not need transport-level guarantees—or that implements its own mechanisms for the guarantees it does need. Choose it based on the application’s message and reliability requirements, not on the assumption that UDP is inherently faster. If the application needs an ordered, reliable stream, RFC 768 identifies TCP as the relevant alternative.
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Sources
- RFC 768: User Datagram Protocol, Jon Postel, 28 August 1980.
- RFC 8085: UDP Usage Guidelines, 2017.
- RFC 8304: Transport Features of UDP and UDP-Lite, 2018.
- RFC 8095: Transport Protocols, 2017.
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