What is the main difference between GET and POST methods in HTTP?

The distinction between GET and POST methods in HTTP primarily revolves around their intended use in web communication. The GET method is designed to retrieve data from a specified resource without causing any side effects—meaning it does not modify the state of the resource. Because of this, GET requests are visible in the URL and can be cached, bookmarked, and logged.

On the other hand, the POST method is employed to submit data to be processed to a specified resource, such as when users submit a form on a website. This often involves sending data such as user inputs, files, and other resources to the server. Unlike GET requests, POST requests do not append data to the URL and are not cached or bookmarked, making them more suitable for operations that may change the state of resources (like creating or updating records).

This fundamental difference in behavior and purpose defines how these methods are utilized in web development and HTTP applications. Other choices mischaracterize their functionalities, such as suggesting that GET is for secure data transfer or inaccurately describing the capabilities of data handling regarding size and speed.