Which HTTP method do you use for partial or full data updates in REST API?

The following HTTP methods are typically used for updating data in REST API:

• PUT — used for full resource updates. The client sends a complete representation of the resource, and the server replaces the existing resource with the new state.

• PATCH — used for partial resource updates. The client sends only the fields that need to be changed, and the rest remain unchanged.

Example:

• To replace the entire user object, use PUT.
• To change only one field, such as email, use PATCH.

In Java, these methods can be handled using annotations in controllers, for example, in Spring:

@PutMapping("/users/{id}")
public ResponseEntity<User> updateUser(@PathVariable Long id, @RequestBody User user) {
    // full update logic
}

@PatchMapping("/users/{id}")
public ResponseEntity<User> partialUpdateUser(@PathVariable Long id, @RequestBody Map<String, Object> updates) {
    // partial update logic
}

Thus, for full updates — PUT, for partial updates — PATCH.