# MKCOL method

> Creates a new collection resource at the specified location in WebDAV.

Source: https://apiguide.dev/methods/mkcol
Safe: no
Idempotent: yes
Cacheable: no
Defined in: RFC 4918, Section 9.3 <https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc4918.html#section-9.3>
Updated: 2026-07-10

## What is the MKCOL method?

The `MKCOL` method is a WebDAV extension (RFC 4918) used by clients to create a new collection, the WebDAV equivalent of a directory, at the request URL.

## API Usage & Best Practices

* **Target must be empty**: MKCOL fails if a resource already exists at the location, so the request URL should be unused.
* **Parents must exist**: The intermediate collections in the path must already be present, otherwise the server reports a conflict.
* **Idempotent creation**: Creating the same collection produces the same end state, though a second call on an existing collection returns 405.

## Common Response Codes

* **201 Created**: The collection was created successfully.
* **405 Method Not Allowed**: A resource already exists at the target URL.
* **409 Conflict**: A parent collection in the path does not exist.