When it comes to retrieving data from servers, cURL is one of the most powerful and user-friendly tools at our disposal. Over time, we’ve experimented with countless methods of sending requests and receiving responses, but based on our implemented research, cURL has proven itself to be exceptionally reliable across a wide range of use cases. In this article, we’ll explain how to use cURL for GET requests, focusing on practical examples and troubleshooting tips that will help you become comfortable with this invaluable utility.
What is cURL?
cURL, which stands for “client URL,” is a command-line tool and library that allows us to transfer data over various network protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and more. Its power lies in its simplicity: we can use a straightforward cURL command to fetch a webpage, upload a file, or interact with an API.
Developers and system administrators often rely on cURL because it:
- Is free and open source
- Works across multiple platforms (Linux, macOS, Windows, etc.)
- Supports numerous protocols
- Provides flexibility and control through countless options
To learn more about the cURL project, feel free to check out the official documentation.
What is a GET request?
A GET request is one of the most common HTTP methods. When we want to read or retrieve data from a server—be it a webpage, a file, or any resource available on the internet—we typically send a GET request. According to the analysis aggregated by Ping Proxies, GET requests account for the majority of all HTTP interactions because most websites and APIs serve content that users and applications need to fetch regularly.
Unlike other HTTP methods (e.g., POST or PUT), a GET request usually doesn't include a request body. Instead, the request parameters can be appended to the URL, making it straightforward for retrieving public information or data protected by fewer security layers.
Basic cURL GET request
Performing a simple GET request with cURL is as straightforward as typing:
This command fetches the HTML of the specified website (in this case, example.com) and displays it in the terminal window. If you need to verify that cURL retrieved the content successfully, look for the HTML tags in the output or check for the familiar doctype line that usually appears at the top of HTML documents.
While this command is sufficient for many use cases, cURL offers more advanced options that can save time and optimize your workflow, which I’ll cover below.
Various cURL GET request examples
Over the years, I’ve used cURL GET requests in many different scenarios. Our data suggests that optimizing your cURL usage can significantly streamline workflows, especially if you’re frequently testing APIs or diagnosing networking issues. Below are some practical examples that you might find helpful.
Receive data in JSON
When an API endpoint returns JSON data, you can simply type:
The response will be printed in raw JSON. If you’d like a more readable, pretty-printed output, you can pipe the response into a tool like jq:
jq is not part of cURL but a separate utility, often used for parsing JSON.
Get only HTTP headers
Sometimes, you only need to examine the headers (metadata such as content type, server type, etc.). In that case, you can use:
This command returns response headers but omits the body. It is particularly useful for quickly checking server configurations or debugging caching issues.
Follow redirects
Some endpoints (especially shortened URLs or certain API services) might redirect you to different URLs. By default, cURL will display the redirect but not follow it. To follow redirects automatically, you can use:
This will instruct cURL to follow any HTTP redirection until the final destination is reached.
Send cookies with your cURL GET request
If you need to pass cookies with your request—perhaps to remain authenticated or maintain session data—use the -b (or --cookie) option:
You can also store cookies in a file and use:
Use the GET request with parameters
When you need to append parameters to the query string, you can simply include them in the URL:
Ensure that you properly URL-encode any special characters. According to the analysis aggregated by Ping Proxies, poorly encoded URLs are a common cause of issues when sending GET requests.
Save the output to a file
If you want to save a server response to your local drive, use the -o or -O option:
- -o output.html saves the response to a file named output.html.
- -O automatically uses the remote file name. For instance, if the URL is https://example.com/data.json, -O will save it as data.json.
cURL option shorthand
As we dive deeper, it’s essential to mention cURL’s shorthand options. Many cURL commands come with both a short and long version. For instance:
- -o is the short version of --output
- -d is the short version of --data
- -H is the short version of --header
- -I is the short version of --head
Using shorthand is often quicker if you’re comfortable with the syntax, but I recommend using the long version in scripts or documentation for readability.
Conclusion
cURL might seem intimidating at first, especially if you’re new to the command line. However, once you learn the basic commands, you’ll find it invaluable for everything from simple website data retrieval to debugging complex API interactions. According to the analysis aggregated by Ping Proxies, there’s no shortage of ways cURL can speed up your development and troubleshooting processes.
Our advice? Experiment with cURL in your daily workflow. Try passing headers, exploring different output options, and analyzing request responses. The more you use it, the more you’ll discover how it can simplify even the most daunting data retrieval tasks.
