The fundamental differences between "GET" and "POST" The HTML specifications technically define the difference between "GET" and "POST" so that former means that form data is to be encoded (by a browser) into a URL while the latter means that the form data is to appear within a message body. But the specifications also give the usage recommendation that the "GET" method should be used when the form processing is "idempotent", and in those cases only. As a simplification, we might say that "GET" is basically for just getting (retrieving) data whereas "POST" may involve anything, like storing or updating data, or ordering a product, or sending E-mail. The HTML 2.0 specification says, in section Form Submission (and the HTML 4.0 specification repeats this with minor stylistic changes): If the processing of a form is idempotent (i.e. it has no lasting observable effect on the state of the world), then the f