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HTTP QUERY lets a client send query inputs in request content while asking a target resource to perform a query with explicitly safe and idempotent semantics. It is useful when encoding inputs in a URI is awkward or creates an unwieldy set of distinct target URIs. QUERY does not replace GET or POST: each method keeps its own purpose and semantics.
What is the HTTP QUERY method?
QUERY is a standards-defined HTTP method for asking the target resource to perform a query using the enclosed request content. The content and its media type define the query; the target resource determines the operation’s scope. A URI still identifies the resource being queried.
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RFC 10008, The HTTP QUERY Method, describes the method as a way to address the gap between GET and POST. It is intended for query inputs that can be cumbersome or inefficient to encode in a URI, or for cases where placing every input combination in the URI would create a distinct resource identifier. URIs may also be more likely than request content to be logged or bookmarked; that observation is not a privacy guarantee.
Example request
QUERY /feed HTTP/1.1
Host: example.org
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
q=foo&limit=10&sort=-publishedHere, /feed identifies the target resource and the request content carries the query inputs. This illustrates the method format; it does not imply that any particular service implements that path.
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How is QUERY different from GET and POST?
Choose based on what the client is asking the server to do and where the inputs belong—not simply on how large the inputs are. HTTP semantics for GET and POST are defined in RFC 9110; RFC 10008 defines QUERY.
| Method | Main purpose | Where inputs go | Safety and repeat behavior | Content and caching |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GET | Request a current representation of the target resource. | Usually in the target URI. GET content has no generally defined semantics; clients should not send it unless they have prior indication that the server supports and understands its purpose. | Safe and idempotent under HTTP semantics. | GET responses are cacheable under HTTP caching rules. GET does not define a general meaning for request content. |
| QUERY | Ask the target resource to perform a query. | Expected in request content; its media type and content define the query. | Explicitly safe and idempotent. | A supported content type is required. A response may be cached, subject to correct cache handling. |
| POST | Ask the target resource to process content according to resource-specific semantics. | Expected in request content. | Potentially unsafe and non-idempotent, depending on the resource’s semantics. | Content is processed according to the target resource’s rules; POST responses are not generally cacheable by default. |
GET remains the natural choice when the client wants a representation identified by a URI. POST remains appropriate when the client wants the resource to process submitted content and the operation’s semantics fit POST. QUERY is for a query operation where request content is the appropriate place for the inputs and safe, idempotent semantics are intended.
Can an HTTP QUERY request have a body?
Yes. Request content is central to QUERY: the enclosed content and its media type define the query. A QUERY request must have a valid Content-Type consistent with its content. A server must fail a request if that header is missing or inconsistent. If the resource does not support the supplied query media type, it can reject the request with 415 Unsupported Media Type.
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Support for a media type is resource-specific. RFC 10008 defines Accept-Query as a way for a resource to advertise supported query media types. Check the target service’s documentation or response headers rather than assuming it accepts a particular format.
Is QUERY safe and idempotent?
Yes. QUERY is defined as both safe and idempotent. Safe means the client does not request a change to the target resource’s state; it does not promise that the server performs no incidental activity, such as logging or accounting. Idempotent means that repeating the same request has the same intended effect on server state as sending it once.
That makes retrying a QUERY after a connection failure valid at the HTTP method-semantics level. It does not remove application-level limits, such as rate limits, nor does it guarantee that every retry will produce an identical result if the underlying data changes between requests.
Can QUERY requests be cached or retried?
Retries
Because QUERY is idempotent, a client can repeat it without changing the intended effect on server state. Whether a client library automatically retries is a separate implementation choice; confirm its behavior and account for service-specific limits.
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QUERY responses can be cached, but that does not mean every cache or intermediary will cache them automatically. RFC 10008 requires a cache that uses a QUERY response to include the request content and relevant metadata in its cache key. Otherwise, different queries could be confused as the same request. Deployers need a cache that understands QUERY and correct configuration for the target service.
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Identifying results
RFC 10008 also describes using Location and Content-Location to identify a query or its result with a URI. These are available standards mechanisms, not mandatory behavior for every QUERY response.
What does a successful response mean?
A successful 2xx response means the request was received, understood, and accepted. In particular, 200 OK indicates that query processing succeeded and the result is in the response content. Check the response status and content according to the target resource’s API contract.
Do browsers and servers support the QUERY method?
The standards define QUERY’s semantics, but they do not provide a current compatibility matrix for browsers, HTTP client libraries, frameworks, servers, gateways, or proxies. Do not assume universal support. Validate the complete path your application uses, including any intermediary between client and origin.
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Content-Type. - Check that gateways, proxies, security filters, and load balancers permit QUERY and preserve its content.
- Verify that the origin resource accepts the method and the query media type; check for an
Accept-Queryadvertisement where available. - Test response handling, caching behavior, and any retry logic in the actual deployment.
When should you use QUERY?
Consider QUERY when all of the following fit the API design:
- The operation is a query against a target resource, rather than a request to create, update, or otherwise change resource state.
- The query inputs are better carried in request content than encoded in the target URI.
- The server and the full request path support QUERY and agree on a query media type.
- Any caches on the path correctly account for the request content and relevant metadata.
Use GET when requesting a representation identified by a URI is the right model, and POST when resource-specific processing of submitted content is the right model. QUERY adds a distinct option for content-carried queries; it does not make those established methods obsolete.
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