PROPFIND

PROPFIND is an HTTP method defined by the WebDAV extension to HTTP and is used to retrieve properties for a resource or a collection of resources. It plays a central role in discovering metadata about WebDAV resources, such as files, directories, calendars, or other managed objects.

A client issues a PROPFIND request to a resource URL and may include an XML request body that specifies which properties to return. The request can use one of three forms: allprop (return all properties known to the server), propname (return the names of properties available on the resource), or prop (list specific properties to return). If the body is omitted, server behavior is implementation-dependent, but many servers treat the request as asking for a default set of properties or allprop. The Depth header controls scope: 0 for the resource only, 1 for the resource and its immediate children, or infinity for a recursive listing.

The server responds with a 207 Multi-Status status code and an XML document named multistatus. This document contains one or more response elements, each describing a resource and one or more propstat elements that indicate the status of each requested property. Properties that exist are returned with their values, while missing or inaccessible properties may appear with a 404 or other error status. Live properties may reflect the current state of the resource, while dead properties are stored metadata.

PROPFIND is commonly used for metadata discovery and is a prerequisite for advanced clients and synchronization tools in WebDAV-based ecosystems, including CalDAV and CardDAV. Not all servers implement every property or depth option, and performance or access controls may influence behavior.