HTTP Methods

What are HTTP Methods?

HTTP methods, also known as HTTP verbs, define the type of action a client wants to perform on a server resource. Each method maps to a specific operation in CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete), forming the foundation of RESTful APIs.

These methods are standardized in the HTTP protocol and are essential for client-server communication.

Common HTTP Methods

GET

• Purpose: Retrieve data from the server.
• Safe: Yes
• Idempotent: Yes
• Example: Fetch a user's profile

GET /users/1 HTTP/1.1

POST

• Purpose: Send data to the server to create a new resource.
• Safe: No
• Idempotent: No
• Example: Registering a new user

POST /users HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json
 
{
  "name": "Jeremy",
  "email": "jeremy@example.com"
}

PUT

• Purpose: Update a resource by replacing it entirely.
• Safe: No
• Idempotent: Yes
• Example: Update user details

PUT /users/1 HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json
 
{
  "name": "Jeremy",
  "email": "newjeremy@example.com"
}

PATCH

• Purpose: Update part of a resource.
• Safe: No
• Idempotent: Not guaranteed
• Example: Change only the email field

PATCH /users/1 HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json
 
{
  "email": "patched@example.com"
}

DELETE

• Purpose: Remove a resource from the server.
• Safe: No
• Idempotent: Yes
• Example: Delete a user

DELETE /users/1 HTTP/1.1

Less Common HTTP Methods

HEAD

• Like GET but returns only headers (no body).
• Useful for checking if a resource exists or to retrieve metadata.

OPTIONS

• Returns the allowed HTTP methods on a resource.
• Commonly used in CORS preflight requests.

CONNECT

• Used to establish a network connection.
• Often for tunneling HTTPS traffic through proxies.

TRACE

• Echoes the request for diagnostic purposes.
• Rarely used and often disabled for security reasons.

Safe and Idempotent Methods Explained

• Safe: A method is considered safe if it doesn't modify the server state. (GET, HEAD)
• Idempotent: An idempotent method can be called multiple times without changing the result. (GET, PUT, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS)

Choosing the Right HTTP Method

When building RESTful APIs or working with web services, selecting the correct method improves clarity, security, and caching behavior.

Final Thoughts

HTTP methods are the backbone of modern web and API communication. Using them correctly ensures your applications are robust, predictable, and standards-compliant. Whether you're debugging requests or designing a REST API, a deep understanding of these verbs is a must-have tool in your developer toolkit.