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HTTP Methods Explained: GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, and More

Tap a method to see what it means.

GET

Used to retrieve data from a server β€” the most common request that happens simply by viewing a webpage.

POST

Used to create or submit new data to a server, most often used for signing up or writing a new post.

PUT

Used to completely replace an entire existing piece of data with new content.

PATCH

Unlike PUT, used to modify only part of a piece of data.

DELETE

Used to delete a specific piece of data on the server.

OPTIONS

Used to check in advance which methods and features a server supports.

Every Web Request Comes Down to One of These Verbs

Whenever a web browser and server exchange data, they always use one of these HTTP methods to communicate "what to do" β€” GET for retrieving, POST for creating, and so on, each method has a clearly defined role that developers rely on as a shared convention.

A Consistent Vocabulary Across the Entire Web

Because these methods are standardized across virtually every server and framework, learning them once gives you a vocabulary that applies almost everywhere on the web, not just to one particular site or app.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between PUT and PATCH?

PUT completely replaces the entire piece of data with new content, while PATCH only partially modifies the specific fields you want to change.

Is simply visiting a webpage also an HTTP method?

Yes β€” typing a URL into a browser's address bar to open a page is, in most cases, a process of using the GET method to request that page's data from the server.