HTTP

Effective request target

Record the target URI and the evidence used to establish its scheme, authority and resource identifier.

1. Which URI is targeted, and how do the request-target form, authority fields or pseudo-fields establish it? definition
2. Is the contacted peer the origin server, a forward proxy, a gateway or a tunnel endpoint? boundary

Method semantics and guarantees

Record the method's defined semantics, safety and idempotency, together with evidence of any application-specific guarantees or deviations.

1. What does this method request, and are its safety and idempotency properties defined by an applicable specification? definition
2. What evidence supports the expected effects at this resource, including any request-content semantics or restrictions? provenance

Response meaning

Record the response sequence and distinguish HTTP-level outcomes from application results requiring separate evidence.

1. Which responses are informational, which is final, and what does the final status mean for this request method? definition
2. What remains unproven about the application outcome, particularly for accepted processing, absent content or an interrupted response? boundary

Selected representation

Record declared representation properties, negotiation inputs and any mismatch between metadata and observed content.

1. Which media type, content coding and language are declared, and what evidence confirms or contradicts those declarations? measurement
2. Which request preferences influenced representation selection, and is content expected or permitted for this method and status? boundary

Cache selection and freshness

Record cache context, matching criteria, directives, age and freshness evidence before reusing a response.

1. May this cache store and reuse the response, considering its private or shared role, method, status and applicable directives? action
2. Do the target, method and Vary-selected request fields match, and what calculated age and freshness lifetime govern reuse? measurement

Conditional operation

Record available entity tags or modification dates, their comparison requirements, and the intended role of preconditions or ranges.

1. Which validators are available, and does the proposed precondition require a strong or weak comparison? definition
2. Which conditional fields would validate a cached response or guard an update, and how should a 304 or 412 response change the next action? action
3. If a range is requested, what supports range handling and representation continuity, and how will 206, 416 or a full response be handled? action

Message boundaries and forwarding

Record the HTTP version, framing evidence and known intermediary changes without assuming end-to-end wire equivalence.

1. Which HTTP version is observed on each known hop, and what establishes the end of the message content and any trailers? measurement
2. Could conflicting length indicators, invalid fields or intermediary transformations cause different recipients to interpret different message boundaries? boundary

Completion evidence and repetition

Record how far the exchange progressed and what evidence justifies repeating it.

1. What evidence shows whether the request was transmitted, processed or answered completely, and where does the outcome remain unknown? measurement
2. Do method semantics, a version-specific failure signal or a documented application guarantee justify a retry, and what timing guidance applies? action

Credential recipient and scope

Record challenges and credential or cookie scope through references that avoid retaining secret values unnecessarily.

1. Does the response challenge origin authentication or proxy authentication, and which scheme and protection space does it identify? definition
2. Which credentials or cookies may accompany the next request, based on recipient scope, applicable client policy and the agent's existing authority? action

Follow-up request boundary

Record what a redirect, successful CONNECT or protocol upgrade proposes and which semantics continue to apply.

1. For a redirect, how is Location resolved, what method and content behaviour applies, and does the destination change origin or scheme? action
2. If a tunnel or protocol upgrade is established, where does ordinary HTTP message interpretation stop and the neighbouring protocol model take over? boundary

Kinds and varieties

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these kinds and varieties hold for the sense of HTTP this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Identifiers and schemes

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these identifiers and schemes hold for the sense of HTTP this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Standards and regulation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these standards and regulation hold for the sense of HTTP this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Real-world use

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these real-world use hold for the sense of HTTP this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Typical measurements

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these typical measurements hold for the sense of HTTP this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Failure modes and hazards

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these failure modes and hazards hold for the sense of HTTP this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Regional variation

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these regional variation hold for the sense of HTTP this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance

Neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart

Reported by the breadth pass; each item needs checking against its source before it becomes normative.

1. Which of these neighbouring kinds and how to tell them apart hold for the sense of HTTP this model covers, and on what evidence? provenance