What is get?

GET is one of the most common ways computers ask for information from a web server. When you type a website address or click a link, your browser sends a GET request to the server, saying “please give me this page or data.” The server then replies with the requested content.

Let's break it down

  • Client: Your browser or app that wants data.
  • Server: The computer that holds the website or API.
  • GET request: A short message that includes the URL (the address) and optional query parameters (like ?search=cat).
  • Response: The server sends back the data, usually in HTML, JSON, or another format, along with a status code (200 = OK, 404 = Not Found, etc.).
  • Stateless: Each GET request is independent; the server doesn’t remember previous requests unless you add extra mechanisms (like cookies).

Why does it matter?

GET is the foundation of how we browse the web and interact with many online services. It’s simple, fast, and safe for retrieving data without changing anything on the server. Understanding GET helps you debug web pages, use APIs, and build your own web applications.

Where is it used?

  • Loading web pages in browsers.
  • Fetching images, scripts, and style sheets.
  • Calling public APIs (e.g., weather data, stock prices).
  • Mobile apps that need to display information from a server.
  • Command‑line tools like curl or wget for downloading files.

Good things about it

  • Easy to use: Just type a URL or click a link.
  • Cache‑friendly: Browsers and proxies can store GET responses to speed up later loads.
  • Safe: It doesn’t modify server data, so it’s less risky than POST/PUT.
  • Widely supported: Every web client and server understands GET.

Not-so-good things

  • Limited size: URLs (and thus GET parameters) have length limits, so you can’t send large amounts of data.
  • Exposes data: Query strings appear in the address bar and logs, so sensitive information shouldn’t be sent via GET.
  • Caching side effects: Over‑caching can serve stale data if the server doesn’t set proper cache headers.
  • Only for retrieval: If you need to create, update, or delete data, you must use other methods like POST, PUT, or DELETE.