HTTP Methods

Common methods

• GET — read a resource (safe, no side effects intended)
• POST — create or trigger an action
• PUT — replace a resource
• PATCH — partial update
• DELETE — remove a resource

Idempotency matters

Repeating an idempotent request should leave the same result. GET, PUT, and DELETE are typically idempotent; POST often is not.

Example flow

Create with POST, read with GET, update with PATCH, remove with DELETE.

POST /api/books
GET /api/books/42
PATCH /api/books/42
DELETE /api/books/42

HEAD and OPTIONS

HEAD is like GET without a body. OPTIONS is used in CORS preflight. You will meet them as you build browser clients.