What are HTTP Methods?

HTTP stands for HyperText Transfer Protocol and is the foundation of data communication on the World Wide Web. It defines the rules and conventions for how clients (such as web browsers) and servers (which host websites) communicate with each other.

HTTP methods, also known as HTTP verbs, are an essential part of this communication process. They indicate the type of action a client wants to perform on a resource hosted on a server. Each method has a specific purpose, enabling different operations like retrieving, updating, or deleting data.

Also read: HTTP Status Codes: Everything You Need to Know

Commonly Used HTTP Methods

Let’s explore some of the most commonly used HTTP methods and understand their purposes:

GET

The GET method is perhaps the most recognizable HTTP method. It is used to retrieve resources from a server. When you type a website URL into your browser and hit enter, a GET request is sent to the server hosting that website. The server responds by sending the requested webpage back to your browser.

GET requests are typically used for fetching data and should not have any side effects on the server. For example, when you browse a news website, your browser sends GET requests to retrieve articles, images, or other resources needed to display the page.

POST

The POST method is used to submit data to a server to create or update a resource. When you fill out a form on a website and click the submit button, a POST request is sent to the server with the data you entered. This data can be used to create a new user account, submit a comment, or perform other actions.

Unlike GET requests, POST requests can have side effects on the server. They can modify data or trigger actions based on the submitted information. It is important to handle POST requests carefully to ensure data integrity and security.

PUT

The PUT method is used to update a resource on the server. It is similar to the POST method but is typically used to perform full updates rather than partial updates. In a PUT request, the entire representation of the resource is sent to the server, replacing the existing resource with the new data.

For example, if you have a blogging platform and want to update a blog post, you can use a PUT request to send the modified content to the server, replacing the old version of the post with the new one.

DELETE

As the name suggests, the DELETE method is used to delete a resource from the server. When you want to remove a file, a user account, or any other resource, a DELETE request is sent to the server, instructing it to delete the specified resource.

It’s important to exercise caution when using the DELETE method, as it permanently removes the resource from the server. Server-side authentication and authorization mechanisms should be in place to prevent unauthorized deletions.

PATCH

The PATCH method is used to perform partial updates on a resource. Unlike the PUT method, which requires sending the entire updated representation of the resource, a PATCH request only contains the changes that need to be applied.

This method is useful when you want to update specific fields of a resource without affecting the rest. For example, if you have a user profile with multiple attributes, you can send a PATCH request to update only the user’s email address without modifying other details like their name or password.

HEAD

The HEAD method is similar to the GET method, but it doesn’t retrieve the actual resource itself. Instead, it retrieves only the metadata or header information of a resource. This can be useful when you want to obtain information about a resource, such as its size, last modified date, or content type, without downloading the entire resource.

HEAD requests are often used by web crawlers or monitoring tools to gather information about URLs without having to download the full content. They can help save bandwidth and reduce unnecessary data transfers.

OPTIONS

The OPTIONS method is used to retrieve the communication options available for a particular resource or server. When a client sends an OPTIONS request, the server responds with a list of allowed methods, headers, and other capabilities. This information helps the client understand what operations it can perform on the resource.

The OPTIONS method is especially useful in scenarios where a client wants to interact with a server but is unsure of the available actions. It allows the client to explore the server’s capabilities before making subsequent requests.

TRACE

The TRACE method is primarily used for diagnostic purposes. When a client sends a TRACE request to a server, the server echoes back the received request in its response. This can be useful for troubleshooting, as it allows the client to see how the request is modified or interpreted by intermediaries, such as proxies or gateways.

TRACE requests are not commonly used in regular web development but can be helpful for analyzing the behavior of requests and responses as they traverse various network components.

Combining Methods with Resources

HTTP methods are typically combined with resources to specify the exact action a client wants to perform. For example, when you visit a blog post URL like `https://example.com/posts/123`, the server understands that you want to retrieve the blog post with the ID `123` using a GET request.

Similarly, if you want to update the same blog post, you can send a PUT or PATCH request to the same URL, including the updated data in the request payload. The server processes the request based on the combination of the method and the resource specified in the URL.

Handling HTTP Methods in Web Development

In web development, handling HTTP methods on the server side is crucial for building robust and secure applications. Web frameworks and programming languages provide mechanisms to handle different HTTP methods and perform appropriate actions.

For example, in a popular web framework like Express.js (used with Node.js), you can define routes and associated functions for handling specific HTTP methods. This allows you to separate the logic for retrieving, creating, updating, or deleting resources based on the method used in the request.

By properly handling HTTP methods, developers can ensure that their applications follow RESTful principles (Representational State Transfer) and provide a consistent and predictable API for clients to interact with.

Conclusion

HTTP methods are the building blocks of communication between clients and servers on the web. They define the actions a client can perform on resources hosted on a server, such as retrieving, creating, updating, or deleting data. Understanding these methods is essential for developing web applications and building APIs that adhere to best practices and standards.

In this article, we explored some of the most commonly used HTTP methods, including GET, POST, PUT, DELETE, PATCH, HEAD, OPTIONS, and TRACE. Each method serves a specific purpose, and by combining them with resources, clients can interact with servers in a meaningful way.

Whether you’re a web developer or an enthusiastic internet user, knowing how HTTP methods work gives you a deeper understanding of how information flows on the web. So next time you browse a website or send data to a server, remember the HTTP methods that make it all possible.

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Also Read: HTTP Methods

What is an HTTP Status Code?

An HTTP status code is a three-digit number that comes as a response to an HTTP request. It indicates the status of the requested resource. In simpler terms, when you request a web page, the server sends back a code that lets you know if the server is okay and if the page you’ve requested exists.

Types of HTTP Status Codes

There are five classes of HTTP status codes:

• 1xx: Informational – Request received, continuing process
• 2xx: Success – The action was successfully received, understood, and accepted
• 3xx: Redirection – Further action must be taken in order to complete the request
• 4xx: Client Error – The request contains bad syntax or cannot be fulfilled
• 5xx: Server Error – The server failed to fulfill an apparently valid request

Informational responses (100–199)

These are used to acknowledge and inform that the server has received the request. An example of this status code is 100, which means the request was received, and the server is continuing the process.

• 100 Continue: The server has received the initial part of the request and is continuing to process the request.
• 101 Switching Protocols: The server has received a request to switch protocols and is acknowledging this with the client.
• 102 Processing: The server has received and is processing the request, but no response is available yet.
• 103 Early Hints: The server is sending some response headers before the final response, to give the client some information that can be used to optimize the request.

Successful responses (200–299)

These indicate that the server has successfully received, understood, and processed the request. An example of this status code is 200, which means the request was successful and resulted in a response.

• 200 OK: The request has been successful, and the response body contains the requested information.
• 201 Created: The request has been successful, and a new resource has been created as a result.
• 202 Accepted: The request has been accepted for processing, but the processing has not been completed yet.
• 203 Non-Authoritative Information: The server is a proxy, and the response is coming from a different source, but is still considered valid.
• 204 No Content: The request has been successful, but there is no response body to return.
• 205 Reset Content: The request has been successful, and the client should reset its view of the resource.
• 206 Partial Content: The server is sending only part of the resource requested by the client.
• 207 Multi-Status: The response is a collection of separate responses, one for each resource in the request.
• 208 Already Reported: The members of a WebDAV binding have already been enumerated in a previous reply to this request, and are not being included again.
• 226 IM Used: The response is a representation of the result of one or more instance manipulations applied to the current instance.

Redirection messages (300–399)

These indicate that further action is required to complete the request. They are used for redirecting users to different URLs or locations. An example of this status code is 302, which means the resource has temporarily moved to a different URL.

• 300 Multiple Choices: The request has multiple possible responses, and the server is returning a list of options for the client to choose from.
• 301 Moved Permanently: The requested resource has been permanently moved to a new URL, and the client should update its bookmarks and links accordingly.
• 302 Found: The requested resource has been temporarily moved to a new URL, and the client should continue to use the original URL for future requests.
• 303 See Other: The response to the request can be found under a different URL, and the client should make a new request using the new URL.
• 304 Not Modified: The requested resource has not been modified since the client’s last request, and the server is returning the cached copy.
• 305 Use Proxy: The requested resource can only be accessed through a proxy, and the client should use the proxy to access the resource.
• 306 Switch Proxy (Deprecated): This status code is no longer used.
• 307 Temporary Redirect: The requested resource has been temporarily moved to a new URL, and the client should continue to use the original URL for future requests.
• 308 Permanent Redirect: The requested resource has been permanently moved to a new URL, and the client should update its bookmarks and links accordingly.

Client error responses (400–499)

These indicate that the server received a malformed or invalid request from the client. An example of this status code is 404, which means the requested resource was not found on the server.

• 400 Bad Request: The server was unable to understand the request due to invalid syntax.
• 401 Unauthorized: The request requires authentication, and the client has not provided valid credentials.
• 402 Payment Required: This status code is reserved for future use.
• 403 Forbidden: The client does not have permission to access the requested resource.
• 404 Not Found: The requested resource could not be found on the server.
• 405 Method Not Allowed: The requested method is not supported for the requested resource.
• 406 Not Acceptable: The requested resource is not capable of generating a response that meets the requirements specified in the request’s headers.
• 407 Proxy Authentication Required: The client must first authenticate itself with the proxy before making this request.
• 408 Request Timeout: The server timed out waiting for the request from the client.
• 409 Conflict: The request could not be completed due to a conflict with the current state of the resource.
• 410 Gone: The requested resource is no longer available on the server and there is no forwarding address.
• 411 Length Required: The server requires a Content-Length header to be included in the request.
• 412 Precondition Failed: The precondition given in the request header fields did not match the server’s preconditions.
• 413 Payload Too Large: The request is larger than the server is willing or able to process.
• 414 URI Too Long: The URI provided in the request is too long for the server to process.
• 415 Unsupported Media Type: The server does not support the media type specified in the request’s headers.
• 416 Range Not Satisfiable: The requested range cannot be returned by the server.
• 417 Expectation Failed: The expectation given in the request’s Expect header could not be met by the server.
• 418 I’m a teapot: This status code is a joke and not intended to be used in serious applications.
• 421 Misdirected Request: The request was directed at a server that is not able to produce a response.
• 422 Unprocessable Entity: The server understands the request, but is unable to process it due to semantic errors.
• 423 Locked: The requested resource is locked and the client should try again later.
• 424 Failed Dependency: The requested resource depends on another resource, and that resource failed to complete the request.
• 426 Upgrade Required: The client should switch to a different protocol, such as TLS/1.3.
• 428 Precondition Required: The server requires the request to be conditional, and the client did not provide the necessary precondition headers.
• 429 Too Many Requests: The user has sent too many requests in a given amount of time (“rate limiting”).
• 431 Request Header Fields Too Large: The server is unwilling to process the request because its header fields are too large.
• 451 Unavailable For Legal Reasons: The requested resource is unavailable due to legal reasons, such as censorship or government-mandated blocked access.

Server error responses (500–599)

These indicate that there was an error on the server while processing the request. An example of this status code is 500, which means there was an internal server error, and the request could not be completed.

• 500 Internal Server Error: The server encountered an unexpected condition that prevented it from fulfilling the request.
• 501 Not Implemented: The server does not support the functionality required to fulfil the request.
• 502 Bad Gateway: The server, while acting as a gateway or proxy, received an invalid response from an upstream server.
• 503 Service Unavailable: The server is currently unable to handle the request due to temporary overload or maintenance of the server.
• 504 Gateway Timeout: The server, while acting as a gateway or proxy, did not receive a timely response from an upstream server.
• 505 HTTP Version Not Supported: The server does not support the HTTP protocol version used in the request.
• 506 Variant Also Negotiates: Transparent content negotiation for the request results in a circular reference.
• 507 Insufficient Storage: The server is unable to store the representation needed to complete the request.
• 508 Loop Detected: The server detected an infinite loop while processing the request.
• 510 Not Extended: Further extensions to the request are required for the server to fulfill it.
• 511 Network Authentication Required: The client needs to authenticate to gain network access.

HTTP Status Codes Cheat Sheet

Download HTTP Status Codes Cheat Sheet

Importance of HTTP Status Codes

HTTP status codes have a significant impact on a website’s user experience. If a user comes across an error code, it can be frustrating and can also cause them to leave the website. It can also impact a website’s search engine optimization (SEO) and can result in a lower search engine ranking.

For website owners, understanding different HTTP status codes can help them identify and resolve issues on their website. For example, if a website owner sees a 404 status code, they can quickly identify which pages are missing and fix them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, HTTP status codes play a critical role in the functioning and user experience of a website. Proper understanding of different status codes can help website owners and developers identify and fix issues on their website. Therefore, it’s essential to pay attention to these codes and address any issues that may arise to ensure a seamless user experience.

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