Free Online cURL to Code Converter
API documentation often shows examples as cURL commands. Dokall converts those commands into JavaScript fetch, Python requests, Go, PHP, Rust, and other language snippets you can paste directly into your project.
Paste a cURL command from browser DevTools or API docs, pick your target language, and copy the generated code. Saves time when prototyping API integrations.
What is cURL?
cURL (Client URL) is a command-line tool for transferring data with URLs. It supports HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and many other protocols. On most systems, it is pre-installed - you can run curl in any terminal on macOS, Linux, or Windows (PowerShell).
cURL is the lingua franca of API documentation. When an API shows an example request, it is almost always a cURL command. Browser DevTools let you copy any network request as cURL. This makes cURL the universal format for sharing and reproducing HTTP requests, even if you never use cURL directly in production code.
Common cURL Options
-X (or --request) sets the HTTP method: -X POST, -X PUT, -X DELETE. GET is the default if no method is specified.
-H (or --header) adds a request header: -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer token123".
-d (or --data) sends a request body and implies POST: -d '{"name":"test"}'. Use --data-raw for literal data without interpretation of @ as a file reference.
-F (or --form) sends multipart form data: -F "file=@photo.jpg" -F "caption=My photo". Each -F flag adds a form field.
-o (or --output) saves the response to a file: -o response.json. -O uses the remote filename.
-v (or --verbose) shows the full request and response headers - invaluable for debugging.
-s (or --silent) hides the progress bar. -S (or --show-error) shows errors even in silent mode. Combine them: -sS.
-L (or --location) follows redirects. Without it, cURL returns the 301/302 response instead of following the redirect.
Copying cURL Commands from the Browser
Every modern browser lets you copy a network request as a cURL command. In Chrome, Firefox, or Edge: open DevTools (F12), go to the Network tab, make the request you want to capture, right-click the request, and select "Copy as cURL".
The copied command includes the URL, method, all headers (including cookies and auth tokens), and the request body. This is the fastest way to reproduce a browser request in your code or share it with a teammate for debugging.
Important: the copied command often includes session cookies and authorization tokens. Remove sensitive headers before sharing. Replace real tokens with placeholders like "Bearer YOUR_TOKEN_HERE" when pasting into documentation or chat.
cURL for API Testing
cURL is the quickest way to test an API endpoint without writing code. Start with the API documentation's example cURL command, modify the parameters, and run it in your terminal.
For JSON APIs, include the Content-Type header: curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" -d '{"email":"test@example.com"}' https://api.example.com/users.
To see response headers along with the body, add -i. To see the full request/response exchange, add -v. To format JSON output, pipe through jq: curl -s https://api.example.com/users | jq .
When testing APIs that require authentication, store the token in a variable: TOKEN="your_token" and reference it: curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOKEN" https://api.example.com/me. This keeps your command history clean and makes it easy to switch tokens.
From cURL to Production Code
A cURL command that works in the terminal is a proven request specification - you know the endpoint, headers, method, and body are correct. Converting it to your language's HTTP client is the next step.
Dokall converts cURL to JavaScript (fetch and axios), Python (requests and http.client), Go (net/http), PHP (cURL extension), Rust (reqwest), and more. The generated code handles header formatting, body serialization, and method specification for each language's conventions.
After converting, review the generated code and adjust for production use: add error handling, set timeouts, use environment variables for API keys (never hardcode secrets), implement retry logic for transient failures, and add logging. The converted code is a starting point - not production-ready code.
For frequently used API calls, wrap the converted code in a function with typed parameters and return values. This creates a clean API client that other parts of your application can call without knowing the HTTP details.