What is the difference between POST and PUT methods in HTTP?

POST is used to send data to the server, usually to create a new resource. POST requests are not idempotent.

PUT is used to update an existing resource or create a new one at the specified URI if the resource does not exist yet. PUT requests are idempotent.

Characteristic	POST	PUT
Purpose	Creating a new resource	Updating an existing resource or creating a new one
Idempotency	No	Yes (multiple executions give the same result)
URI	Usually on a collection (e.g., /users)	Usually on a specific resource (e.g., /users/1)