HTTP Method Reference
GET / POST / PUT / DELETE — safe? idempotent? body?
| Method | Safe | Idempotent | Body | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
GET |
yes | yes | no | Retrieve a representation of the resource |
HEAD |
yes | yes | no | Same as GET but with response body stripped |
OPTIONS |
yes | yes | no | Describe the communication options for the target |
TRACE |
yes | yes | no | Echo a request back (mostly disabled in practice) |
POST |
no | no | yes | Submit data; typically creates a new resource |
PUT |
no | yes | yes | Replace the target resource with the supplied representation |
PATCH |
no | no | yes | Apply a partial modification |
DELETE |
no | yes | no | Delete the resource |
CONNECT |
no | no | no | Establish a tunnel — typically for HTTPS through an HTTP proxy |
About this tool
Reference table for HTTP request methods — safety, idempotency, body convention and standard meaning. Useful when designing REST APIs.