What is Idempotent HTTP Verbs?
GET, PUT, and DELETE produce the same result when safely retried; POST does not promise that. BYOB server routes use idempotent verbs for mutations clients may repeat after network timeouts.
Related terms
Idempotency Key
A client-supplied unique key letting servers recognize retried requests and return the original result. Payment endpoints require one per checkout attempt so double-clicks and timeouts never charge twice.
REST Resource Design
Modeling an API as nouns with stable URLs — /projects/:id/messages — instead of action endpoints. Resource design makes caching, auth scoping, and client reasoning predictable across every route.
Retry, Backoff & Jitter
Retrying failed calls after growing delays with random spread, so a fleet does not stampede a recovering service. Exponential backoff plus jitter turns synchronized thundering herds into gentle background noise.
Dead-Letter Queue
A holding area for messages that exhausted every retry, preserved with full context for inspection. Dead letters stop poison events from blocking healthy traffic and give operators a deliberate replay path.
API Versioning
Evolving an API without breaking existing clients: versioned paths or headers, additive changes first, removals on a schedule. Versioning is a promise that yesterday’s integration keeps working tomorrow.
Sunset Header
An HTTP response header announcing when an endpoint version retires, paired with migration guidance. Sunset headers turn surprise breakage into a planned upgrade with a date clients can schedule around.