How to build a serverless WebSockets platform

The WebSocket protocol is increasingly important for modern web applications as it enables real-time data handling with an event-driven architecture, propagating messages instantly to all connected clients. While dedicated WebSocket servers can be set up, serverless solutions are more scalable and cost-effective. AWS API Gateway and AWS Lambda can be used to build a basic serverless WebSockets platform for simple applications like chat. However, this design has limitations at scale, such as connection state tracking, abrupt disconnection handling, lack of broadcasting support, and region restrictions. To overcome these challenges, third-party vendors like Ably offer serverless WebSocket platforms built for dependability and scalability, allowing developers to focus on core product innovation without managing realtime infrastructure.