What is the difference between PUT and PATCH in REST API?

In REST API, the PUT and PATCH methods are used for updating resources but differ in meaning and behavior:

• PUT — full update of a resource. When calling PUT, the client sends a complete representation of the resource, and the server replaces the existing resource with the one sent. If some fields are not specified, they are usually cleared or removed.

• PATCH — partial update of a resource. The client sends only the fields that need to be changed, and the server updates only those, leaving the rest unchanged.

Example:

PUT /users/123
{
  "name": "Ivan",
  "email": "ivan@example.com"
}

Replaces the entire user profile.

PATCH /users/123
{
  "email": "new_email@example.com"
}

Updates only the email, other data remains the same.