What it does
curl is a command-line transfer tool with extensive protocol, proxy, authentication and connection controls for repeatable data movement.
curl transfers the URLs and options specified in a command or script. Choose output deliberately: received data goes to standard output unless a file option is supplied. Output selects a local name; remote-name uses the URL’s basename in the current directory and overwrites an existing file of that name. Headers, credentials, retry and timeout rules, proxies and parallel transfers provide control over repeated exchanges. The tool does not parse the downloaded content into a website or follow page links as a mirror automatically. It is free and open source, but supported protocols depend on the installed build and destination access.
Strengths
- Detailed transfer and connection controls
- Broad protocol support
Watch out for
- Capabilities can vary with the installed build
Sources
- curl (Oct 26, 2026)
- curl manual: output and protocols (Oct 26, 2026)
- curl manual: remote-name (Oct 26, 2026)