Curl GET request with json parameter

Question

I am trying to send a "GET" request to a remote REST API from Command Prompt via cURL like this:

curl -X GET \
  -H "Content-type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  "http://server:5050/a/c/getName/{"param0":"pradeep"}"

But it returns no output. I tried to ping the URL directly from the browser, I am able to get response successfully, I don't understand what is the wrong with the command.

Basically I want to set a "GET" request to a remote REST service which gives me json data as a response via curl. Can anyone guide me what mistake am I doing? I tried various posts, but all of them talk about POST requests not about GET.

No errors, server side it is executing successfully. But from curl side it is not displaying anydata. It just pings after few seconds it just displays blank with no data. — Pradeep Simha, Jan 24 '14 at 07:02
can you try with curl -i -H "Accept: application/json" "http://server:5050/a/c/getName/{"param0":"pradeep"}" (option -i instead of x). — Harshal Bulsara, Jan 24 '14 at 07:08

score 163 · Accepted Answer · edited Jan 22 '20 at 16:17

163

This should work :

  curl -i -H "Accept: application/json" 'server:5050/a/c/getName{"param0":"pradeep"}'

use option -i instead of x.

edited Jan 22 '20 at 16:17

YSC

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answered Jan 24 '14 at 07:15

Harshal Bulsara

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perhaps different quotation? "server:5050/a/c/getName{'param0':'pradeep'}" – A B Aug 27 '15 at 08:12
It should really be either `'server:5050/a/c/getName{"param0":"pradeep"}'` or `"server:5050/a/c/getName{\"param0\":\"pradeep\"}"`. – Benjamin W. May 23 '18 at 14:56

Steven Soroka · Answer 2 · 2019-11-18T12:46:51.187

48

If you really want to submit the GET request with JSON in the body (say for an XHR request and you know the server supports processing the body on GET requests), you can:

curl -X GET \
  -H "Content-type: application/json" \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -d '{"param0":"pradeep"}' \
  "http://server:5050/a/c/getName"

Most modern web servers accept this type of request.

edited Nov 18 '19 at 12:46

answered Feb 26 '19 at 19:46

Steven Soroka

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This does not work produce the result intended. Using https://httpbin.org/get for debugging, this yields: `{ "args": {}, "headers": { "Accept": "application/json", "Content-Length": "20", "Content-Type": "application/json", "Host": "httpbin.org", "User-Agent": "Mozilla/5.0 (Macintosh; Intel Mac OS X 10.10; rv:57.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/57.0" }, "origin": "27.94.235.50, 27.94.235.50", "url": "https://httpbin.org/get" }` Nothing is received. You need to use a query string like `curl -X GET https://httpbin.org/get?data=%7B%22param0%22%3A%22pradeep%22%7D` – Jacques Nov 17 '19 at 10:38
That depends on whether or not your web server is checking the body for GET requests, which I admit is not entirely standard behavior. You may be better off using the url query parameters like you say. One issue with using a body on a get request is that the browser can not replay the request by navigating with the browser history, though this is probably fine for XHR requests. – Steven Soroka Nov 18 '19 at 12:41
Alternatively what one can do, if one has enough control on the server side, is add a special property in the json data like "method": "get", send the payload in a post request and have the code on the server interpret this as a get request. – Jacques Nov 19 '19 at 13:09
@Jacques sure, but if you have control of the server you can just as easily have your server read bodies of GET requests. Getting back to the original question, I think this whole tangent is a bit off topic. Re-reading the question, I don't think OP has access to change the server. – Steven Soroka Nov 19 '19 at 16:40
yes that's true. If you control the server. My comment was spurred by the following statement you made which, like I said, would not produce the intended result: "Most modern web servers accept this type of request". Factually, they would accept the request you described, but the request would fail to produce the intended result. Or you may want to revise the statement like this: "Most modern web servers accept this type of request assuming you have direct control on the server side, but this is non-standard" – Jacques Nov 20 '19 at 22:14

score 17 · Answer 3 · answered Jan 24 '14 at 07:34

If you want to send your data inside the body, then you have to make a POST or PUT instead of GET.

For me, it looks like you're trying to send the query with uri parameters, which is not related to GET, you can also put these parameters on POST, PUT and so on.

The query is an optional part, separated by a question mark ("?"), that contains additional identification information that is not hierarchical in nature. The query string syntax is not generically defined, but it is commonly organized as a sequence of = pairs, with the pairs separated by a semicolon or an ampersand.

For example:

curl http://server:5050/a/c/getName?param0=foo&param1=bar

Any HTTP request message is allowed to contain a message body. It is never useful for GET because of GET semantics - contents of request body, if any, shouldn't change response. — Jarek Przygódzki, Jun 24 '16 at 15:35

score 9 · Answer 4 · answered Jan 24 '14 at 07:11

GET takes name value pairs.

Try something like:

curl http://server:5050/a/c/getName/?param1=pradeep

or

curl http://server:5050/a/c/getName?param1=pradeep

btw a regular REST should look something like

curl http://server:5050/a/c/getName/pradeep If it takes JSON in GET URL, it's not a standard way.

smci · Answer 5 · 2021-12-07T21:40:54.263

Try

curl -G ...

instead of

curl -X GET ...

Normally you don't need this option. All sorts of GET, HEAD, POST and PUT requests are invoked instead by using dedicated command line options.

This option only changes the actual word used in the HTTP request, it does not alter the way curl behaves. So for example if you want to make a proper HEAD request, using -X HEAD will not suffice. You need to use the -I, --head option.

score 4 · Answer 6 · edited May 23 '18 at 14:57

4

For username and password protected services use the following

curl -u admin:password -X GET http://172.16.2.125:9200 -d '{"sort":[{"lastUpdateTime":{"order":"desc"}}]}'

edited May 23 '18 at 14:57

Benjamin W.

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answered Mar 21 '17 at 00:11

Sandeep K V

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curl -X POST -H "Content-type: application/json" -d '{"stuff": "things"}' http://... – keithpjolley Nov 11 '17 at 21:33
Correct me if i'm wrong, but having -d on a curl request (and not specifying the method) will make the request a POST. – Gokigooooks Jul 01 '20 at 23:53

score 0 · Answer 7 · answered Mar 07 '19 at 14:49

None of the above mentioned solution worked for me due to some reason. Here is my solution. It's pretty basic.

curl -X GET API_ENDPOINT -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d 'JSON_DATA'

API_ENDPOINT is your api endpoint e.g: http://127.0.0.1:80/api

-H has been used to added header content.

JSON_DATA is your request body it can be something like :: {"data_key": "value"} . ' ' surrounding JSON_DATA are important.

Anything after -d is the data which you need to send in the GET request

Curl GET request with json parameter

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