API supports 5 HTTP methods for interacting with resources:

  • GET – request used to retrieve data. Never used to delete, update or insert data.
  • POST – request used to insert data. Posted data type – JSON.
  • PATCH – request used to update data. Only passed data will be updated. You don’t need to provide all the data set.
  • PUT – create or update (replace) a resource. Useful for syncing data.
  • DELETE – remove data.

PATCH and PUT difference

HTTP PATCH requests are used to make partial updates on a resource.

PUT requests are used to modify/replace all resource entities.

PATCH method is the correct choice for partially updating an existing resource and PUT should only be used if you’re replacing a resource entirely.

HTTP Method tunneling

Note: HTTP Method tunneling can be used by making POST operation and providing the needed method in an X-HTTP-Method-Override header.

So if you can't use PATCH, PUT or DELETE methods - you can use POST and X-HTTP-Method-Override header to set PUT, PATH, or DELETE operation.