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Idempotency
platform
Also called: idempotent operation
Plain-language definition
Plain-language definition
The property that repeating the same operation has the same intended effect as doing it once.
Why it matters
Network retries are normal, so idempotency prevents duplicate orders, payments, or imported terms.
Technical detail
An idempotent operation uses stable identity, conflict handling, or a request key so retries do not create duplicate logical changes.
Examples
- Running the glossary corpus importer twice leaves one canonical term per slug.
Related terms
Sources and review
Reviewed July 12, 2026 by [email protected]. Next review due July 11, 2027.
- HTTP Semantics — RFC Editor Accessed 7/11/2026
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