What is the request asking for?
When an app talks to a web server, it sends an HTTP request with an address and a method. The method is a short word that describes the intended action:
- GET asks for something, such as the details of an order. It is intended for reading, not changing the order.
- POST sends information for the server to process, such as a new order. It often creates something.
- PUT replaces an existing item, such as a saved delivery address, with a complete new version.
- PATCH changes part of an item, such as just the phone number on that address.
- DELETE asks the server to remove an item, such as a saved address.
HEAD asks for information about a response without receiving its main content. OPTIONS asks which methods or other request options are available.
The method is a request, not a guarantee
A website or API defines what each method does at a particular address. The server can refuse a request if the app lacks permission or the information is invalid. DELETE may remove an item from view without erasing every stored record. The method alone does not make a request secure; the connection and the server’s access rules matter too.