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HTTP QUERY lets a client send query inputs in request content while asking a server to process them with safe and idempotent semantics. The target URI identifies the resource; the request content and its media type describe the query. It is useful when a query is awkward to place in a URI, but it does not replace GET or POST—and a standards definition alone does not guarantee that your browser, framework, proxy, or server supports it.
What is the HTTP QUERY method?
QUERY is an HTTP method for asking the target resource to perform a query using content enclosed in the request. The origin server determines the query’s scope from the target resource, while the request content and its media type define the query. The method is specified in RFC 10008, The HTTP QUERY Method, published in June 2026.
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For example, this request places the query parameters in the body rather than in the URI:
QUERY /feed HTTP/1.1
Host: example.org
Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
q=foo&limit=10&sort=-publishedHere, /feed identifies the target resource, and the form-encoded content carries query inputs. This illustrates the method’s format; it does not mean that a particular service implements /feed.
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How is QUERY different from GET and POST?
The choice is about the requested operation and its HTTP semantics, not simply the size of the inputs. RFC 9110, HTTP Semantics, defines GET and POST; RFC 10008 defines QUERY.
| Method | Purpose | Where inputs go | Safety and repeat behavior | Response caching |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GET | Request a current representation of the target resource | The target URI. GET content has no generally defined semantics; clients should not send it without prior indication of purpose and support. | Safe and idempotent under HTTP semantics. | GET responses can be cacheable under HTTP caching rules. |
| QUERY | Ask the target resource to perform a query and return the result | Request content, with a content type that defines the query format. | Explicitly safe and idempotent. | A response can be cached; a cache that uses it must include the request content and relevant metadata in its cache key. |
| POST | Ask the target resource to process content according to resource-specific semantics | Request content. | May be unsafe or non-idempotent, depending on the resource’s semantics. | POST responses can be cacheable under specified conditions, but caching is not inherent to the method. |
QUERY addresses cases where URI-based inputs are large, inefficient to encode, or cause a distinct resource identifier for every input combination. RFC 10008 also notes that URIs are more likely to be logged or bookmarked than request content. That is a comparison, not a privacy guarantee: request content can still be logged, inspected, or exposed by a system.
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Can an HTTP QUERY request have a body?
Yes. Request content is expected: it carries the query, and its media type identifies the content format. The server must fail the request if Content-Type is missing or inconsistent with the content. A resource that does not support the supplied query media type can reject it with 415 Unsupported Media Type.
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Is QUERY safe and idempotent?
Yes, QUERY is defined as both safe and idempotent. Safe means the client does not request a change to the target resource’s state; it is not a guarantee that the server performs no incidental activity, such as logging or accounting. Idempotent means repeating the same request has the same intended effect on server state as sending it once.
A successful 2xx response indicates that the request was received, understood, and accepted. A 200 OK response indicates that query processing succeeded and the result is in the response content. A server may also identify a query or its result with URIs using the Location and Content-Location mechanisms; these are available options, not required behavior.
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Can QUERY requests be cached or retried?
Caching
A QUERY response can be cached, but that does not mean every cache or intermediary will cache it automatically. Under RFC 10008, a cache that stores QUERY responses must include the request content and relevant metadata in its cache key. Deployers therefore need a cache that understands the method and configuration that distinguishes requests with different query bodies.
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Retries
Because QUERY is idempotent, retrying the same request after a connection failure is valid at the HTTP method-semantics level. Application limits, server behavior, and operational policies still matter; idempotence does not promise that a retry will succeed or that it is free of resource cost.
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Do browsers and servers support the QUERY method?
The RFCs define QUERY’s protocol semantics, but they do not provide a current compatibility matrix for browsers, HTTP client libraries, frameworks, gateways, proxies, or servers. Do not infer deployment support from the standard alone. Before relying on QUERY, check the current documentation for each part of your stack and test the complete request path, including intermediaries and caching.
Quick Recap
- Confirm that the client can send the method with the intended request content and Content-Type.
- Verify that gateways, proxies, and server routing preserve and recognize QUERY rather than rejecting or rewriting it.
- Check which query media types the specific resource accepts, including any
Accept-Queryadvertisement. - If responses are cached, confirm that the cache handles QUERY and keys entries using the request content and relevant metadata.
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