HTTP topic
HTTP methods
An HTTP method defines the semantics requested by a client. Use this cluster to distinguish safety from idempotency, understand request content and redirects, and look up the exact rules for individual methods.
Recommended foundation
Start here
This entry establishes the shared model used by the references, diagnostics, and experiments below.
Learn
Choose an HTTP method by its semantics
Choose methods from their defined semantics and understand why retries and redirects treat them differently.
HTTP methods
Learn
2 reviewed entries
intermediate
Predict HTTP redirects and method handling
Predict a redirect by reading its status, Location value, original method, and client behavior together.
intermediate
Use the HTTP QUERY method for safe requests with content
Use QUERY when a safe, idempotent operation needs structured request content that does not fit naturally in a URI.
HTTP methods
Reference
4 reviewed entries
beginner
GET method
GET requests transfer a current representation of the target resource.
beginner
HEAD method
HEAD asks for the response metadata of GET without transferring response content.
beginner
POST method
POST asks the target resource to process enclosed content according to that resource's semantics.
intermediate
QUERY method
QUERY asks a target resource to process enclosed query content safely and idempotently and return the result.
HTTP methods
Troubleshoot
1 reviewed entry
HTTP methods
Lab
3 reviewed entries
intermediate
Compare methods across redirects
Compare historical method rewriting with explicit method-preserving redirect semantics.
beginner
Observe a bounded HTTP request
Compare a request's method, bounded content size, and safely normalized field values.
intermediate
Observe an HTTP QUERY request
Run a safe cross-origin QUERY request and inspect the final response shared with JavaScript.
HTTP methods
Glossary
2 reviewed entries