GET vs POST
Explore the essential differences between GET and POST HTTP methods, including how data is sent, their impact on server state, and why POST is generally safer for sensitive information. Understand how web server logs expose URL parameters, highlighting security best practices for handling requests.
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As we’ve seen earlier, an HTTP request starts with a peculiar start line:
GET / HTTP/1.1
First and foremost, a client tells the server what verbs it is using to perform the request. Common HTTP verbs include GET, POST, PUT, and DELETE, but the list could go on with less common verbs like TRACE, OPTIONS, or HEAD.
In theory, no method is safer than others; in practice, it’s not that simple.
GET requests usually don’t carry a body, so parameters are included in the URL (i.e., www.example.com/articles?article_id=1) whereas POST requests are generally used to send (“post”) data which is included in the body. Another difference is in the side effects that these verbs carry with them. GET is an idempotent ...