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HTTP COPY Method

Copies a resource from its current location to the URI given in the Destination header, in WebDAV.

SafetyUnsafe (State-Mutating)
IdempotencyIdempotent
CachingNon-Cacheable

What is the COPY method?

The COPY method is a WebDAV extension (RFC 4918) used by clients to duplicate a resource, placing a copy at the URI named in the Destination header.

API Usage & Best Practices

  • Set the Destination: Always supply the Destination header naming the target URI for the copy.
  • Control overwrites: Use the Overwrite header to decide whether an existing resource at the destination may be replaced.
  • Mind the depth: For collections, the Depth header determines whether only the collection or its full tree is copied.

Common Response Codes

  • 201 Created: The copy was created at a previously empty destination.
  • 204 No Content: An existing destination resource was overwritten by the copy.
  • 207 Multi-Status: Reports per-member results when copying a collection partially fails.

Common Response Status Codes

HTTP 201 — Created

The request has been fulfilled and has resulted in a new resource being created.

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HTTP 204 — No Content

The request was successful, but the response body is intentionally empty.

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HTTP 207 — Multi-Status

The response body contains multiple independent status codes for a batch of sub-operations.

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