Add note about default request headers (#12683)

Author: sdwheeler

reference/5.1/Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility/Invoke-RestMethod.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 external help file: Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility.dll-Help.xml
 Locale: en-US
 Module Name: Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility
-ms.date: 10/29/2025
+ms.date: 01/20/2026
 online version: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/invoke-restmethod?view=powershell-5.1&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
 schema: 2.0.0
 aliases:
@@ -44,6 +44,13 @@ data.
 
 This cmdlet is introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0. This command can be run using the `irm` alias.
 
+By default, the HTTP request includes default values for the following HTTP headers:
+
+- `Host`
+- `User-Agent`
+
+Use the **Headers** parameter to add other headers or override the default values.
+
 ## EXAMPLES
 
 ### Example 1: Get the PowerShell RSS feed

reference/5.1/Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility/Invoke-WebRequest.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 external help file: Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility.dll-Help.xml
 Locale: en-US
 Module Name: Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility
-ms.date: 12/16/2025
+ms.date: 01/20/2026
 online version: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/invoke-webrequest?view=powershell-5.1&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
 schema: 2.0.0
 aliases:
@@ -62,6 +62,12 @@ This cmdlet was introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.
 > For more information about this security update, see
 > [PowerShell 5.1: Preventing script execution from web content](https://support.microsoft.com/KB/5074596).
 
+By default, the HTTP request includes default values for the following HTTP headers:
+
+- `Host`
+- `User-Agent`
+
+Use the **Headers** parameter to add other headers or override the default values.
 
 This command can be run using the `iwr`, `curl`, or `wget` aliases.
 

reference/7.4/Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility/Invoke-RestMethod.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 external help file: Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility.dll-Help.xml
 Locale: en-US
 Module Name: Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility
-ms.date: 12/10/2025
+ms.date: 01/20/2026
 online version: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/invoke-restmethod?view=powershell-7.4&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
 schema: 2.0.0
 aliases:
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ variables. See the [NOTES](#notes) section of this article.
 Beginning in PowerShell 7.4, character encoding for requests defaults to UTF-8 instead of ASCII. If
 you need a different encoding, you must set the `charset` attribute in the `Content-Type` header.
 
+By default, the HTTP request includes default values for the following HTTP headers:
+
+- `Accept-Encoding`
+- `Host`
+- `User-Agent`
+
+Use the **Headers** parameter to add other headers or override the default values.
+
 ## EXAMPLES
 
 ### Example 1: Get the PowerShell RSS feed

reference/7.4/Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility/Invoke-WebRequest.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 external help file: Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility.dll-Help.xml
 Locale: en-US
 Module Name: Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility
-ms.date: 12/10/2025
+ms.date: 01/20/2026
 online version: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/invoke-webrequest?view=powershell-7.4&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
 schema: 2.0.0
 aliases:
@@ -105,6 +105,14 @@ variables. See the [Notes](#notes) section of this article.
 Beginning in PowerShell 7.4, character encoding for requests defaults to UTF-8 instead of ASCII. If
 you need a different encoding, you must set the `charset` attribute in the `Content-Type` header.
 
+By default, the HTTP request includes default values for the following HTTP headers:
+
+- `Accept-Encoding`
+- `Host`
+- `User-Agent`
+
+Use the **Headers** parameter to add other headers or override the default values.
+
 ## EXAMPLES
 
 ### Example 1: Send a web request

reference/7.5/Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility/Invoke-RestMethod.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 external help file: Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility.dll-Help.xml
 Locale: en-US
 Module Name: Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility
-ms.date: 12/10/2025
+ms.date: 01/20/2026
 online version: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/invoke-restmethod?view=powershell-7.5&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
 schema: 2.0.0
 aliases:
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ variables. See the [NOTES](#notes) section of this article.
 Beginning in PowerShell 7.4, character encoding for requests defaults to UTF-8 instead of ASCII. If
 you need a different encoding, you must set the `charset` attribute in the `Content-Type` header.
 
+By default, the HTTP request includes default values for the following HTTP headers:
+
+- `Accept-Encoding`
+- `Host`
+- `User-Agent`
+
+Use the **Headers** parameter to add other headers or override the default values.
+
 ## EXAMPLES
 
 ### Example 1: Get the PowerShell RSS feed

reference/7.5/Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility/Invoke-WebRequest.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 external help file: Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility.dll-Help.xml
 Locale: en-US
 Module Name: Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility
-ms.date: 12/10/2025
+ms.date: 01/20/2026
 online version: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/invoke-webrequest?view=powershell-7.5&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
 schema: 2.0.0
 aliases:
@@ -105,6 +105,14 @@ variables. See the [Notes](#notes) section of this article.
 Beginning in PowerShell 7.4, character encoding for requests defaults to UTF-8 instead of ASCII. If
 you need a different encoding, you must set the `charset` attribute in the `Content-Type` header.
 
+By default, the HTTP request includes default values for the following HTTP headers:
+
+- `Accept-Encoding`
+- `Host`
+- `User-Agent`
+
+Use the **Headers** parameter to add other headers or override the default values.
+
 ## EXAMPLES
 
 ### Example 1: Send a web request

reference/7.6/Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility/Invoke-RestMethod.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 external help file: Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility.dll-Help.xml
 Locale: en-US
 Module Name: Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility
-ms.date: 12/10/2025
+ms.date: 01/20/2026
 online version: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/invoke-restmethod?view=powershell-7.6&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
 schema: 2.0.0
 aliases:
@@ -116,6 +116,14 @@ variables. See the [NOTES](#notes) section of this article.
 Beginning in PowerShell 7.4, character encoding for requests defaults to UTF-8 instead of ASCII. If
 you need a different encoding, you must set the `charset` attribute in the `Content-Type` header.
 
+By default, the HTTP request includes default values for the following HTTP headers:
+
+- `Accept-Encoding`
+- `Host`
+- `User-Agent`
+
+Use the **Headers** parameter to add other headers or override the default values.
+
 ## EXAMPLES
 
 ### Example 1: Get the PowerShell RSS feed

reference/7.6/Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility/Invoke-WebRequest.md

@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 external help file: Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.Utility.dll-Help.xml
 Locale: en-US
 Module Name: Microsoft.PowerShell.Utility
-ms.date: 12/10/2025
+ms.date: 01/20/2026
 online version: https://learn.microsoft.com/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.utility/invoke-webrequest?view=powershell-7.6&WT.mc_id=ps-gethelp
 schema: 2.0.0
 aliases:
@@ -105,6 +105,14 @@ variables. See the [Notes](#notes) section of this article.
 Beginning in PowerShell 7.4, character encoding for requests defaults to UTF-8 instead of ASCII. If
 you need a different encoding, you must set the `charset` attribute in the `Content-Type` header.
 
+By default, the HTTP request includes default values for the following HTTP headers:
+
+- `Accept-Encoding`
+- `Host`
+- `User-Agent`
+
+Use the **Headers** parameter to add other headers or override the default values.
+
 ## EXAMPLES
 
 ### Example 1: Send a web request