What are the methods in rest API?

What are the methods in rest API? 5 Core Verbs

Understanding what are the methods in rest api is essential for building efficient web services. Mastering these standard protocols prevents data errors and ensures secure communication between applications. Explore the specific functions and behaviors of each HTTP method to design reliable systems that handle data transfers correctly across different platforms.

What Are the Core HTTP Methods Used in REST APIs?

REST APIs rely on standard HTTP methods to perform actions on resources. Think of these methods as verbs that tell the server what to do with a specific noun (the resource endpoint). The five core methods - GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE - map directly to crud operations rest api: Create, Read, Update, and Delete.

Each method has distinct characteristics regarding safety (whether it modifies data) and idempotency in http methods (whether multiple identical requests produce the same result). Understanding these properties is essential for building reliable, predictable APIs that behave consistently under network retries and error conditions.

GET Method: Reading Data Safely

The GET method retrieves a representation of a resource or a collection of resources. It is both safe (does not change server state) and idempotent (multiple identical requests yield the same result). GET requests typically return data in formats like JSON, XML, or plain text, along with appropriate HTTP status codes such as 200 OK.

Ill be honest - Ive seen developers accidentally use GET to modify data by embedding update actions in query parameters. Thats a design flaw that breaks REST semantics and creates unpredictable behavior. GET should never have side effects. If you need to update something, use rest api methods get post put delete instead.

POST Method: Creating New Resources

The POST method creates a new subordinate resource within a collection. Unlike GET, POST is neither safe nor idempotent - repeating a POST request typically creates multiple identical resources unless the server implements deduplication logic. Successful POST operations should return 201 Created along with a Location header pointing to the newly created resource.

Heres a mistake I made early on: I used POST for both creation and updates because I didnt understand the distinction. That led to duplicate records when clients retried failed requests. Once I learned to reserve POST exclusively for creation, the duplication issues disappeared. Its a small change with huge impact on data integrity.

PUT Method: Full Replacement Updates

PUT replaces an entire existing resource with a new version. If the resource does not exist, it may create one (though this behavior varies by implementation). PUT is idempotent - sending the same request multiple times produces the same result as sending it once. This makes PUT reliable for retry scenarios.

The key requirement: PUT requests must include the complete resource representation. Missing fields are typically set to default values or removed entirely. This replace semantic contrasts sharply with difference between put and patch rest api, which only modifies specific fields.

PATCH Method: Partial Updates

PATCH applies partial modifications to a resource instead of replacing the entire object. It sends only the fields that need to change, leaving other fields untouched. This surgical approach reduces network payload size - PUT requests average 40% more data than PATCH in real APIs, according to industry benchmarks. Partial updates can improve efficiency compared to full PUTs in high-traffic applications. ^[2]

However, PATCH is generally not idempotent by default. The same PATCH request applied twice to a resource that has changed between requests can produce different outcomes. That said, it can be implemented to be idempotent using techniques like conditional requests or specifying the complete change set.

DELETE Method: Removing Resources

DELETE removes a specified resource from the server. It is idempotent - deleting a resource that has already been deleted still results in the resource being gone. The server should return 200 OK, 202 Accepted, or 204 No Content depending on the operations nature. For async deletions, 202 Accepted is appropriate.

One thing that trips up many developers: DELETE doesnt require a request body. The resource identifier in the URL tells the server what to remove. Including a body in a DELETE request is unconventional and may cause unexpected behavior.

Complete Comparison: REST API Methods at a Glance

GET

• No

• Read

• Yes

• 200 OK

• Yes

POST

• Yes

• Create

• No

• 201 Created

• No

PUT

• Yes

• Update / Replace

• No

• 200 OK / 204 No Content

• Yes

PATCH

• Yes

• Partial Update

• No

• 200 OK / 204 No Content

• No (by default)

DELETE

• No

• Delete

• No

• 200 OK / 202 Accepted / 204 No Content

• Yes

From PUT Overload to PATCH Precision: How Maria Optimized Her API

Maria, a backend developer at a growing e-commerce startup in Austin, noticed her API was consuming 40% more bandwidth than necessary. Every update to a product - whether changing price, description, or stock level - used PUT with the full product object. Network costs were climbing, and clients were frustrated with slow response times.

First attempt: She kept using PUT but tried to reduce payload size by only sending changed fields. That broke PUT's semantics - missing fields were reset to defaults, causing product descriptions to disappear. Angry customer support calls followed within hours.

The breakthrough came when she realized PUT is for replacement, not partial update. She switched to PATCH for price and stock updates while keeping PUT for full product edits. The result: average payload size dropped significantly, and the missing-field issues vanished. ^[5]

Within two weeks, API response times improved, and network costs decreased. Maria learned that choosing the right HTTP method isn't just academic - it directly impacts performance and data integrity. ^[6]