An HTTP method is the verb in a web request. The common ones are GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, and DELETE: GET usually reads, POST creates or submits something new, PUT and PATCH update (PATCH usually a smaller change), and DELETE removes. The URL matters, but the method changes the meaning. Hitting an endpoint with GET says “show me this customer,” while DELETE says “remove this customer.”
Imagine filling out a form at a service counter. The counter may be the same, but what you write at the top matters: “Request a copy.” “Create a new account.” “Cancel this record.” The clerk needs the verb before they know what to do with the form.
Why you care
This is why API work feels picky. To connect to a REST API, an agent has to know the address, the method, the required fields, and what answer to expect; a tiny mismatch turns into an error. POST where it should PATCH may create a duplicate instead of updating the original, and DELETE in the wrong place is a much bigger problem. “Call the API” is never vague to software. It has to say exactly what it wants, every time.