HTTP request methods
HTTP defines a set of request methods to indicate the desired action to be performed for a given resource. Although they can also be nouns, these request methods are sometimes referred to as HTTP verbs. Each of them implements a different semantic, but some common features are shared by a group of them: e.g. a request method can be safe, idempotent, or cacheable.
GET
-
The
GET
method requests a representation of the specified resource. Requests usingGET
should only retrieve data. HEAD
-
The
HEAD
method asks for a response identical to aGET
request, but without the response body. POST
-
The
POST
method submits an entity to the specified resource, often causing a change in state or side effects on the server. PUT
-
The
PUT
method replaces all current representations of the target resource with the request payload. DELETE
-
The
DELETE
method deletes the specified resource. CONNECT
-
The
CONNECT
method establishes a tunnel to the server identified by the target resource. OPTIONS
-
The
OPTIONS
method describes the communication options for the target resource. TRACE
-
The
TRACE
method performs a message loop-back test along the path to the target resource. PATCH
-
The
PATCH
method applies partial modifications to a resource.
Specifications
Specification | Title | Comment |
---|---|---|
RFC 7231, section 4: Request methods | Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP/1.1): Semantics and Content | Specifies GET, HEAD, POST, PUT, DELETE, CONNECT, OPTIONS, TRACE. |
RFC 5789, section 2: Patch method | PATCH Method for HTTP | Specifies PATCH. |
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