# Intro: Making requests

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**Note:** Make sure you have initialized your API host before making calls to your microservice. Check [Initialization of the API](https://walkinthepark.gitbook.io/microservice-api/initialization#initialization-of-the-api) before continuing.
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### Quick: What are API requests?

Utilizing API requests enables communication between your Minecraft server and your microservices. This proves to be a valuable tool in the development of plugins, as it grants the plugin access to external data that can be incorporated into the gaming experience.

### Which request method would be best to use?

A thorough understanding of the appropriate request methods and their corresponding status codes is crucial when working with microservices.

The four most commonly utilized request methods in microservices are `GET`, `POST`, \
`PUT` and `DELETE`.  Here are some recommended scenarios for their use in your plugin:

<table><thead><tr><th width="123">Method</th><th>Example purpose</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><mark style="color:blue;"><strong>GET</strong></mark></td><td>Retrieve player data such as name, statistics, inventory, etc. </td></tr><tr><td><mark style="color:green;"><strong>POST</strong></mark></td><td>Allow players to submit content, such as creating a clan or an in-game object.</td></tr><tr><td><mark style="color:yellow;"><strong>PUT</strong></mark></td><td>Update player data such as adding coins or updating their inventory.</td></tr><tr><td><mark style="color:red;"><strong>DELETE</strong></mark></td><td>Remove player data, such as deleting a friend or when their account is deleted.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Proceed to the next section to gain knowledge on how to establish communication between your Minecraft server and your microservice.