# Real-Time Processing Real-time processing refers to the handling and analysis of data immediately as it is received, with minimal delay between input and output. Unlike batch processing, which collects data over a period before processing it all at once, real-time processing acts on each data point or event as it arrives. Real-time processing systems are used in applications that require immediate responses, such as financial trading platforms, fraud detection, live dashboards, multiplayer games, and IoT sensor monitoring. Technologies commonly used for real-time processing include Apache Kafka Streams, Apache Flink, AWS Kinesis, and WebSocket connections. In API architectures, real-time processing is relevant for streaming APIs, webhook delivery, and event-driven systems. API gateways can support real-time communication by proxying WebSocket connections, delivering server-sent events (SSE), or routing webhook payloads to processing services with minimal latency. Edge-deployed gateways are particularly suited for real-time use cases because processing occurs close to the client, reducing network-induced delay. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.serverlessapigateway.com/glossary/r/real-time-processing.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.