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    As far as I'm concerned this is the correct answer. Refreshing data on the server is not an idempotent operation, and GET is a completely inappropriate verb to use. PUT is the most appropriate verb as the operation can be thought of as updating the "reloaded status" of the cache to "reloaded". Commented Apr 27, 2015 at 15:17
  • @Jez Of the answers here, I prefer this one as well. Sticking with the email metaphor, offhand it does feel odd at first to think of sending the mail by putting it into the "sending" state instead of just sending it (an action). But if you think about it, that's really the same thing as putting it in the "outbox." In fact, the mail system itself is probably queuing it that way internally when you tell it to send. So the API can let you put the mail in the "sending" state, and the API isn't obligated to explain itself beyond that. Commented Jul 30, 2015 at 19:57
  • So by extension, if you don't want the message to go just yet, you put it in the "scheduled" state with a date/time when it should be released. If it isn't complete, you put it (or it is implicitly/by default) in the "draft" state, etc. Commented Jul 30, 2015 at 19:57
  • ...although I think I'd prefer POST to PUT in this case, since PUT is also supposed to be idempotent, but POST is under no such constraint. Commented Jul 30, 2015 at 20:28
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    You could do that, but ultimately it is trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. There is no reason why the client needs to trigger the server to "reload" anything, that is just poor architectural design. Either the server can update its internal state on each call or at a fixed time interval. Relying on the client to tell the server to reload something independent of any actual request for a resource state is not RESTful architecture. Commented Dec 8, 2015 at 16:16