You copy a curl command from API documentation, Postman, or a browser DevTools network tab. Now you need to make that same request from your application. Translating curl flags by hand into library calls is tedious and error-prone—especially when the request involves headers, auth tokens, form data, or cookies. A cURL to code converter does this instantly.

What cURL to Code Does

The tool parses a curl command and outputs equivalent code in a language you choose:

  • Python — using requests or httpx
  • JavaScript — using fetch or axios
  • Node.js — using node-fetch or the native https module
  • Go — using net/http
  • PHP — using curl extension or GuzzleHttp
  • Ruby — using net/http or Faraday
  • Java — using HttpClient or OkHttp

Paste the curl command, pick your language, and get working code.

Common curl Flags and What They Map To

Understanding the flag-to-library mapping helps when you need to customize the output.

-X / --request — HTTP Method

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/users
import requests
response = requests.post('https://api.example.com/users')
fetch('https://api.example.com/users', { method: 'POST' })

-H / --header — Request Headers

curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGci..." \
     https://api.example.com/users
import requests
headers = {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer eyJhbGci...'
}
response = requests.get('https://api.example.com/users', headers=headers)
fetch('https://api.example.com/users', {
  headers: {
    'Content-Type': 'application/json',
    'Authorization': 'Bearer eyJhbGci...'
  }
})

-d / --data — Request Body

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/users \
     -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -d '{"name": "Alice", "email": "alice@example.com"}'
import requests, json
data = {"name": "Alice", "email": "alice@example.com"}
response = requests.post(
    'https://api.example.com/users',
    headers={'Content-Type': 'application/json'},
    json=data
)
package main

import (
    "bytes"
    "encoding/json"
    "net/http"
)

func main() {
    data := map[string]string{"name": "Alice", "email": "alice@example.com"}
    body, _ := json.Marshal(data)
    req, _ := http.NewRequest("POST", "https://api.example.com/users", bytes.NewBuffer(body))
    req.Header.Set("Content-Type", "application/json")
    client := &http.Client{}
    client.Do(req)
}

-F / --form — Multipart Form Data

curl -F "file=@/path/to/report.pdf" \
     -F "title=Q1 Report" \
     https://api.example.com/upload
import requests
with open('/path/to/report.pdf', 'rb') as f:
    files = {'file': f}
    data = {'title': 'Q1 Report'}
    response = requests.post('https://api.example.com/upload', files=files, data=data)

-u / --user — HTTP Basic Auth

curl -u username:password https://api.example.com/protected
import requests
response = requests.get(
    'https://api.example.com/protected',
    auth=('username', 'password')
)

-b / --cookie — Cookies

curl -b "session=abc123; theme=dark" https://app.example.com/dashboard
import requests
cookies = {'session': 'abc123', 'theme': 'dark'}
response = requests.get('https://app.example.com/dashboard', cookies=cookies)

-k / --insecure — Skip TLS Verification

curl -k https://localhost:8443/api/health
import requests
response = requests.get('https://localhost:8443/api/health', verify=False)
import (
    "crypto/tls"
    "net/http"
)

tr := &http.Transport{TLSClientConfig: &tls.Config{InsecureSkipVerify: true}}
client := &http.Client{Transport: tr}

Note: only use InsecureSkipVerify: true / verify=False in development and internal tooling, never in production.

Real-World Workflow: From Browser DevTools to Code

The most common use case is grabbing requests from browser DevTools.

  1. Open Chrome/Firefox DevTools → Network tab
  2. Find the request you want to replicate
  3. Right-click → Copy → Copy as cURL
  4. Paste into the converter
  5. Select your target language

This workflow is especially useful for:

  • Reverse-engineering internal APIs
  • Replicating browser behavior in automated tests
  • Building integrations with third-party services that lack official SDKs

curl Commands from API Documentation

Most API documentation includes curl examples. Convert them to your language rather than manually referencing both docs and your editor.

Stripe API example:

curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/charges \
  -u sk_test_YOUR_STRIPE_TEST_KEY: \
  -d amount=2000 \
  -d currency=usd \
  -d source=tok_visa \
  -d description="Charge for jenny.rosen@example.com"
import stripe
stripe.api_key = 'sk_test_YOUR_STRIPE_TEST_KEY'

charge = stripe.Charge.create(
    amount=2000,
    currency='usd',
    source='tok_visa',
    description='Charge for jenny.rosen@example.com'
)

For simple cases the converter output is all you need. For production code, use official SDKs when available—they handle retries, pagination, and error handling.

Handling Complex curl Commands

Multiple -d flags

curl merges multiple -d flags into a URL-encoded string. The converter handles this correctly:

curl -X POST https://api.example.com/form \
     -d "field1=value1" \
     -d "field2=value2"

Equivalent to field1=value1&field2=value2 as the body.

--data-binary vs --data

--data strips newlines; --data-binary preserves the exact bytes. The converter outputs the appropriate call depending on which flag was used—this matters for JSON bodies that include newlines in string values.

Following Redirects (-L)

curl -L https://short.url/abc123
# requests follows redirects by default
response = requests.get('https://short.url/abc123', allow_redirects=True)

Compressed Responses (--compressed)

curl --compressed https://api.example.com/large-response

Python’s requests handles gzip/brotli decompression automatically—no extra code needed.

Try the Tool

Convert curl to code instantly →

Paste any curl command, pick Python, JavaScript, Go, PHP, or another target language, and get working code in seconds. Useful for:

  • Converting API docs examples to your language
  • Migrating shell scripts to application code
  • Sharing API call examples with teammates who prefer a different language
  • Debugging HTTP requests by comparing curl output with library behavior

The conversion runs entirely in the browser—no server, no logging.