What is the primary difference between GET and POST requests in HTTP?

The primary distinction between GET and POST requests in HTTP revolves around their fundamental purposes in web communication. GET requests are designed to retrieve data from a server. This means that when you send a GET request, you are requesting specific information, such as a webpage or data from an API, and the server responds with the requested data. This method is idempotent, meaning multiple identical requests will yield the same result without causing any side effects on the server.

Conversely, POST requests are utilized to send data to a server. This method is commonly used when submitting form data, uploading files, or interacting with APIs where information is created or updated on the server. Unlike GET, which appends data to the URL and is limited in size, POST sends data in the body of the request, allowing for more substantial and complex data structures. Therefore, the fundamental roles of these request types—retrieving versus sending data—capture the essence of their differences in functionality and usage within web applications.