bash
curl --connect-timeout 5 https://example.comNotes
Separate connect timeout from overall max time.
cURL Debugging, Performance, and Scripting
Tracing, DNS overrides, proxies, protocol selection, config files, timeouts, and script-friendly curl patterns.
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Debugging and Diagnostics
Tracing, proxies, DNS overrides, timeouts, and connection tuning.
Limit total transfer time
Abort the request after a fixed total duration.
bashANYcurltimeoutautomation
bash
curl --max-time 20 https://example.comNotes
Good for scripts that must not hang forever.
bash
curl --resolve example.com:443:127.0.0.1 https://example.comNotes
Great for testing a site before DNS changes propagate.
Redirect one host:port to another
Change where curl connects without changing the URL's host name.
bashANYcurldnsrouting
bash
curl --connect-to example.com:443:staging.example.net:8443 https://example.comNotes
Useful for staging, canaries, and origin testing.
bash
curl -x http://proxy.example.com:8080 https://example.comNotes
Use `-x` / `--proxy` for HTTP, HTTPS, SOCKS, and related proxies.
bash
curl --socks5 localhost:1080 https://example.comNotes
Useful for debugging network routes or tunneled access.
bash
curl --http2 https://example.comNotes
Useful when testing protocol behavior and ALPN negotiation.
Try HTTP/3
Attempt an HTTP/3 transfer when curl build and server support it.
bashANYcurlhttp3protocol
bash
curl --http3 https://example.comNotes
HTTP/3 support depends on the curl build and backend support.
bash
curl -4 https://example.comNotes
Helpful for troubleshooting mixed IPv4/IPv6 environments.
bash
curl -6 https://example.comNotes
Useful when validating IPv6 reachability.
Config Files and Scripting
Reusable config files, shell integration, and script-safe patterns.
bash
curl -K request.curlNotes
Config files are useful for long commands and repeatable workflows.
Example curl config file
Store headers, auth, and URL in a reusable config file.
iniANYcurlconfigscripting
ini
url = 'https://api.example.com/v1/items'
header = 'Accept: application/json'
header = 'Authorization: Bearer TOKEN'
silent
show-errorNotes
A `.curlrc` or request-specific config file can keep complex commands readable.
bash
curl --json '{"name":"demo"}' https://api.example.com/v1/itemsNotes
`--json` is a convenience option that sets JSON-related defaults.
bash
curl -o '#1-#2.txt' 'https://example.com/{dev,prod}/{a,b}'Notes
Output templates pair nicely with URL globbing.
bash
status=$(curl -s -o /tmp/resp.json -w '%{http_code}' https://api.example.com/health)
[ "$status" -eq 200 ] && echo ok || echo failNotes
A common automation pattern: body to file, status to shell variable.
bash
curl -s https://api.github.com/repos/curl/curl | jq '.stargazers_count'Notes
curl focuses on transfer; pair it with `jq` for JSON processing.
Send request body from a file
Post the contents of a local file as the request body.
bashANYcurlpostfile
bash
curl -X POST -H 'Content-Type: application/json' --data @payload.json https://api.example.com/itemsNotes
Prefix a filename with `@` for `--data` to read from file.
Bypass proxy for specific hosts
Skip proxy use for selected domains or hosts.
bashANYcurlproxynetwork
bash
curl --noproxy localhost,127.0.0.1 https://localhost:8443Notes
Helpful in mixed environments where a proxy is configured globally.
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