HTTP & APIs

My reference for HTTP requests, responses, APIs, and fetch.

Web Platform Intermediate

HTTP Methods

Common request methods and the intent they usually communicate.

Common request methods and the intent they usually communicate.
Term / Syntax Name Description Example
GET Read Resource Requests a representation of a resource without intending to modify it. GET /api/users/42
POST Create/Process Submits data for processing or commonly creates a new resource. POST /api/users
PUT Replace Resource Commonly replaces a resource with the complete representation provided. PUT /api/users/42
PATCH Partial Update Applies partial modifications to a resource. PATCH /api/users/42
DELETE Delete Resource Requests removal of the target resource. DELETE /api/users/42

Common Status Codes

Frequently encountered HTTP response status codes.

Frequently encountered HTTP response status codes.
Term / Syntax Name Description Example
200 OK The request succeeded. 200 OK
201 Created The request succeeded and created a new resource. 201 Created
204 No Content The request succeeded and has no response body. 204 No Content
400 Bad Request The server could not process the request because the request was invalid or malformed. 400 Bad Request
401 Unauthorized Authentication is required or has failed. 401 Unauthorized
403 Forbidden The server understood the request but refuses authorization. 403 Forbidden
404 Not Found The requested resource was not found. 404 Not Found
409 Conflict The request conflicts with the current state of the resource. 409 Conflict
500 Internal Server Error The server encountered an unexpected error while processing the request. 500 Internal Server Error

Headers & JSON

Common metadata and data formats used in API requests and responses.

Common metadata and data formats used in API requests and responses.
Term / Syntax Name Description Example
Content-Type Representation Type Describes the media type of the content being sent. Content-Type: application/json
Accept Preferred Response Type Tells the server which response media types the client can handle. Accept: application/json
Authorization Credentials Sends credentials used to authenticate a request. Authorization: Bearer <token>
JSON.stringify() Serialize to JSON Converts a JavaScript value to a JSON string. body: JSON.stringify({ name: "Jennifer" })
response.json() Parse JSON Response Reads a response body as JSON and returns a Promise with the parsed data. const data = await response.json();

Fetch & Async Requests

Browser APIs and patterns for making asynchronous HTTP requests.

Browser APIs and patterns for making asynchronous HTTP requests.
Term / Syntax Name Description Example
fetch() HTTP Request Starts a network request and returns a Promise for a Response. const response = await fetch("/api/users");
async Async Function Allows a function to use await and always returns a Promise. async function loadUsers() { }
await Await Promise Waits for a Promise and returns its fulfilled value. const response = await fetch(url);
response.ok Success-Range Check true when the response status is in the 200–299 range. if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${response.status}`);
try...catch Request Error Handling Handles errors thrown while awaiting a request or processing its response. try { await fetch(url); } catch (error) { console.error(error); }
AbortController Cancel Request Provides a signal that can abort fetch and other supported operations. const controller = new AbortController(); fetch(url, { signal: controller.signal });
CORS Cross-Origin Policy HTTP-header mechanism controlling whether browser code can access cross-origin responses. Access-Control-Allow-Origin: https://example.com