curl
agent-ready non-interactive
The ubiquitous command-line HTTP client. Transfers data with URL syntax, supporting HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and dozens of other protocols.
How to install curl
pre-installed on macOS/Linux When to use curl
- Testing an API endpoint by sending a specific HTTP method (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) with custom headers and payload, then examining the raw response headers and body.
- Downloading a file from a URL (e.g., a script, archive, or image) and saving it locally with a specific filename.
- Debugging HTTP interactions by inspecting response timing, status codes, redirects, and certificate details without a browser.
When not to use curl
- When the task requires maintaining persistent sessions with cookies across multiple requests (use a browser or session-capable tool like cURL with cookie jar or use a library).
- When the response needs to be parsed into structured data (e.g., JSON extraction or transformation) that is then used in downstream logic (use jq, python, or similar).
curl features
- · All HTTP methods
- · Header manipulation
- · File upload/download
- · Authentication support
- · JSON/data handling
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