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HTTP Methods

HTTP Methods: The Verbs of Web Communication

HTTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol) methods, also known as HTTP verbs, indicate the desired action to be performed for a given resource. They are a fundamental part of how web clients (like your browser) communicate with web servers. Common Methods are GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS, PATCH

Here are the most common HTTP methods:​

GET​

Purpose: Retrieves data from a specified resource. It should only be used to request data and should not have any other effect on the server (i.e., it should be "safe" and "idempotent").

Example: Requesting a webpage or an image.

POST​

Purpose: Sends data to the server to create a resource or update an existing one. Often used when submitting forms.

Example: Submitting login credentials, adding a new comment.

PUT​

Purpose: Replaces all current representations of the target resource with the request payload. Used to update an existing resource or create one if it doesn't exist.

Example: Updating a user's entire profile.

DELETE​

Purpose: Removes the specified resource.

Example: Deleting a user account or a specific post.

Purpose: Similar to GET, but it asks for a response identical to that of a GET request, but without the response body. Useful for checking what a GET request would return before actually downloading it.

Example: Checking if a resource exists or its size (via Content-Length header) without downloading the full content.

OPTIONS​

Purpose: Describes the communication options for the target resource. It allows a client to determine the options (like which HTTP methods) are available for a resource.

Example: Checking which methods a server allows for a specific URL.

PATCH​

Purpose: Applies partial modifications to a resource. Unlike PUT, which replaces the entire resource, PATCH only applies incremental changes.

Example: Updating only a specific field in a user's profile.