diff --git a/files/en-us/web/http/headers/if-unmodified-since/index.md b/files/en-us/web/http/headers/if-unmodified-since/index.md index 78141ad0f0f1f09..a67232fda97f04d 100644 --- a/files/en-us/web/http/headers/if-unmodified-since/index.md +++ b/files/en-us/web/http/headers/if-unmodified-since/index.md @@ -10,20 +10,18 @@ browser-compat: http.headers.If-Unmodified-Since --- {{HTTPSidebar}} -The **`If-Unmodified-Since`** request HTTP header makes the -request conditional: the server will send back the requested resource, or accept it in -the case of a {{HTTPMethod("POST")}} or another non-{{Glossary("Safe/HTTP", "safe")}} method, only if -it has not been last modified after the given date. If the resource has been modified -after the given date, the response will be a {{HTTPStatus("412")}} (Precondition Failed) -error. +The HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) **`If-Unmodified-Since`** request header makes the +request for the resource conditional: the server will send the requested resource or accept it in +the case of a {{HTTPMethod("POST")}} or another non-{{Glossary("Safe/HTTP", "safe")}} method only if the resource has not been modified after the date specified by this HTTP header. If the resource has been modified +after the specified date, the response will be a {{HTTPStatus("412 Precondition Failed")}} error. -There are two common use cases: +The **`If-Unmodified-Since`** HTTP header is commonly used in the following situations: - In conjunction with non-{{Glossary("Safe/HTTP", "safe")}} methods, like {{HTTPMethod("POST")}}, - it can be used to implement an [optimistic - concurrency control](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimistic_concurrency_control), like done by some wikis: editions are rejected if the - stored document has been modified since the original has been retrieved. -- In conjunction with a range request with a {{HTTPHeader("If-Range")}} header, it can + this header can be used to implement an [optimistic + concurrency control](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Optimistic_concurrency_control), as is done by some wikis: editions are rejected if the + stored document has been modified since the original was retrieved. +- In conjunction with a range request using the {{HTTPHeader("If-Range")}} header, this header can be used to ensure that the new fragment requested comes from an unmodified document.