POST (HTTP) facts for kids

POST is a special way your computer talks to websites. It's like sending a message or filling out a form online. When you send information, like a comment on a video or your username and password to log in, your computer uses POST.

This method is part of something called the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). Think of HTTP as the rules for how computers on the internet send and receive information. POST is one of the main rules for sending data.

What is POST?

POST is a method used to send data to a web server. When you use POST, your computer sends information to a specific place on a website. This information is often new data that the website needs to process or save.

For example, if you are writing a message on an online forum, your message is the data. When you click "submit," your computer uses POST to send that message to the forum's server. The server then adds your message to the forum.

How Does POST Work?

When you use a website, your web browser (like Chrome or Firefox) talks to a web server. The server is a powerful computer that stores the website's files and information.

When you want to send data, your browser packages up the information. It then sends this package to the server using the POST method. The server receives the data and does something with it. This could be saving it, updating a database, or showing it to other users.

The data sent with POST is usually hidden from the web address (URL). This makes it more secure for things like passwords. It also allows you to send larger amounts of data.

POST vs. GET: What's the Difference?

HTTP has different ways to talk to servers. Two common ways are POST and GET. They do different jobs:

• GET is used to get or retrieve information from a server. When you type a website address or click a link, your browser uses GET to ask the server for the web page. The data you ask for is often part of the web address.
• POST is used to send or submit information to a server. When you fill out a form, upload a picture, or send a message, your browser uses POST. The data you send is usually hidden and not shown in the web address.

Think of it this way: GET is like asking a librarian for a book. POST is like giving the librarian a new book to put on the shelf.

Where Do We Use POST?

You use POST every day when you're online, even if you don't realize it! Here are some common examples:

• Submitting online forms: When you fill out a registration form, a survey, or a contact form, the information you type is sent using POST.
• Logging in: When you enter your username and password to log into a website, those details are sent securely using POST.
• Posting comments or messages: If you leave a comment on a blog, a social media post, or send a message in a chat, POST sends your text to the server.
• Uploading files: When you upload a photo to a social media site or a document to a cloud storage service, POST is used to send the file.
• Making online purchases: When you confirm an order on an online store, the order details are sent using POST.

POST is a very important part of how the internet works, allowing us to interact with websites and send our own information.