What is the difference between a GET request and a POST request?

Main differences between GET and POST requests:

• GET is used to retrieve data from the server. Parameters are passed in the URL (query string).
• POST is used to send data to the server, for example, when creating or updating resources. Data is sent in the request body.

Key differences:

1. Security and idempotency:

   • GET is considered safe and idempotent — repeated requests should not change the server state.
   • POST is not idempotent — repeated requests may result in multiple resources being created.

2. Data volume:

   • GET is limited by URL length (depends on browser and server).
   • POST allows transmitting larger amounts of data in the request body.

3. Caching:

   • GET requests are usually cached by browsers and proxies.
   • POST requests are usually not cached.

4. Data visibility:

   • In GET, parameters are visible in the URL, which may be insecure for confidential data.
   • In POST, data is sent in the body, hiding it from the URL.

Example:

• GET: GET /users?id=123
• POST: POST /users with body { "name": "John" }

The choice of method depends on the task: GET for retrieving data, POST for sending or modifying data.