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http

HTTP methods & messages

How browsers and servers exchange requests and status lines alongside HTML documents.

Common HTTP methods

MethodTypical use
GETRetrieve a representation; safe & cacheable when semantically appropriate.
POSTSubmit data or trigger processing with a body.
PUTReplace resource at target URI.
PATCHPartial update.
DELETERemove resource.
HEADSame as GET without body—headers only.
OPTIONSDiscover allowed methods / CORS preflight.

Response status families

  • 1xx — informational (rare in typical browser navigation).
  • 2xx — success (200 OK, 201 Created, 204 No Content).
  • 3xx — redirection (301, 302, 303, 307, 308) — follow Location carefully.
  • 4xx — client mistakes (400, 401, 403, 404, 429).
  • 5xx — server failures (500, 502, 503).

HTML documents arrive inside HTTP exchanges—cache headers, cookies, and CSP all influence what markup and assets ultimately execute in the browser.

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