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Dev MaxxingBeginnerAPIs60 sec
HTTP method
An HTTP method is the verb in an HTTP request, such as GET or POST, that indicates the type of action being requested on a given endpoint.
Prerequisite: API endpoint
What matters
The method, combined with the endpoint, defines what an API call actually does, so the same URL can behave completely differently depending on which method is used.
Example
A GET request to '/posts/42' might retrieve a post, while a DELETE request to that same URL removes it.
Common misconception
The HTTP method is not just a label; well-built APIs rely on it to determine real, different behavior for the same endpoint URL.
Recall question
Why can the same endpoint URL behave differently depending on the HTTP method used?
Keywords and related concepts
HTTP methodGETPOSTverb