What is the significance of specifying the method attribute in a form tag when submitting data to a PHP script?

Specifying the method attribute in a form tag is significant because it determines how the form data will be sent to the server. The two most common methods are "GET" and "POST". Using "GET" appends the form data to the URL, making it visible in the address bar, while using "POST" sends the data in the background without displaying it in the URL. When submitting data to a PHP script, it is crucial to specify the method attribute to ensure that the script can properly handle the incoming data.

<form method="POST" action="process_form.php">
  <!-- form fields go here -->
</form>