What Is The HTTP GET Request?

GET Method

GET is an HTTP method used to request data from a specified resource. The GET request should only receive data or fetch data. The GET method is used to retrieve data from the given server using a given URI.

The HTTP GET request is a method used to retrieve data from a specified resource. It is one of the most common HTTP methods, along with POST, PUT, and DELETE.

Syntax

Below example, a client makes a GET request to the following URI to retrieve a list of orders from an API:

GET https://api.example.com/orders # Retrieves a list of orders
GET https://api.example.com/orders/1 # Retrieves a specific order 1

The server will then return a list of orders or a specific order in the requested format (such as JSON or XML).

Example

 In the GET method, the query string (field/value pairs) is sent in the URL of a GET request. Usually, a string of name and value pairs is separated by ampersands (&). In general, a URL with getting data will look like this:

Request

curl --location --request GET 'https://api.postcodes.theapibridge.com/v1/udprn/54782785?x-api-key={api_key}'

Response

{
    "status": 200,
    "message": "Success",
    "result": {
        "building_number": " ",
        "premise": "",
        "building_name": "",
        "sub_building_name": "",
        "organisation_name": "Aberdeen Airport Engineering",
        "line_1": "Aberdeen Airport Engineering",
        "line_2": "Ninian Road",
        "line_3": "Dyce",
        "postcode": "AB21 0PD",
        "thoroughfare": "Ninian Road",
        "post_town": "ABERDEEN",
        "po_box": "",
        "ward": "Dyce/Bucksburn/Danestone",
        "district": "Aberdeen City",
        "county": "Scotland",
        "country": "Scotland",
        "udprn": "54782785",
        "address": "Aberdeen Airport Engineering, Ninian Road, Dyce, ABERDEEN, AB21 0PD",
        "postcode_incode": "0PD",
        "postcode_outcode": "AB21",
        "postcode_compact": "AB210PD",
        "postcode_type": "S",
        "department_name": "",
        "su_organisation_indicator": "Y",
        "double_dependant_locality": "",
        "dependant_thoroughfare": "",
        "dependant_locality": "Dyce",
        "delivery_point_suffix": "1H",
        "geocode": {
            "eastings": "387515",
            "northings": "0812566",
            "lattitude": "57.203686",
            "longitude": "-2.208289"
        }
    }
}

Characteristics

• GET requests are only used to request data (not modify).
• GET requests should never be used when dealing with sensitive data
• GET requests can be cached.
• GET requests to have length restrictions.
• GET requests can be bookmarked
• GET requests to remain in the browser history.
• GET requests should be idempotent, meaning that multiple identical GET requests should produce the same result as a single request.

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