Which HTTP Method?: Explained

Which HTTP Method? Explained

Answer a few questions about your intent and state changes to pick the right HTTP method: GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, or HEAD.

The HTTP method must match the intent: read, write, replace, update, or delete. Safe methods (GET and HEAD) must never change server state, while POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE carry the write semantics. Answer below to get a recommendation, ranked against the alternatives.

The options

GET

Fetch a representation of a resource without changing it.

Reading data, list pages, and anything that must be cacheable, bookmarkable, or safe to retry.

POST

Send data to be processed, usually creating a new resource.

Creating a record when the server assigns the identity, or submitting an action that is not idempotent.

PUT

Replace the entire resource at a known location.

Full updates where you send the complete new state and the operation must be idempotent.

PATCH

Apply a partial change to an existing resource.

Updating one field or a small subset of fields without sending the whole object.

DELETE

Remove the resource at the target URL.

Destroying a record so that repeated calls leave the same end state, an idempotent removal.

HEAD

Like GET, but returns only the headers and no body.

Checking existence, size, or metadata cheaply before deciding whether to fetch the full body.

Which one fits you?

Answer a few questions to get a recommendation.

Question 1 of 2