IETF Officially Introduces HTTP QUERY Method to Fix Complex API Search Limitations

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standardized a new HTTP method called QUERY in RFC 10008, published in June 2026, marking the first new official HTTP method in over two decades. The method was introduced to address a long-standing gap in API design, where developers were forced to use either unwieldy long GET URLs or semantically misleading POST requests for complex, read-only search operations. Unlike POST, the QUERY method explicitly signals that a request is safe, read-only, and repeatable, allowing its responses to be cached by CDNs and intermediaries. Developers can now include rich search criteria in a request body — just as they would with POST — while the method name itself clearly communicates that no data will be created or modified. This distinction improves both API clarity and performance, particularly for modern applications that require multi-filter, multi-condition search functionality.