About cURL to Code Generator

Convert cURL commands to code in JavaScript, Python, Go with formatting options. Part of the DevTools Surf developer suite. Browse more tools in the API / Config collection.

Use Cases

• Convert API documentation cURL examples to Python or JavaScript for quick testing
• Translate cURL commands from Stack Overflow answers into your application's language
• Generate boilerplate HTTP client code from REST client exports
• Learn HTTP request construction patterns across different language SDKs

Tips

• Paste the full cURL command including -H, -d, --data-raw, and --form flags — all are parsed and converted to the target language's native constructs
• Use the language selector to switch between JavaScript fetch, Axios, Python requests, Go http, PHP curl, and Ruby Net::HTTP
• Enable 'async/await' mode for JavaScript to get modern promise-based code instead of callback-style

Fun Facts

• cURL was created by Daniel Stenberg in 1998 as a tool to transfer URLs. It now supports 28 protocols and ships pre-installed on every major operating system — making it effectively universal. Stenberg still maintains it as an individual contributor, 26 years later.
• The -v (verbose) flag in cURL was added in the first public release and remains one of the most used debugging tools in web development. The asterisk (*), > (request header), and < (response header) prefixes in verbose output are unchanged since 1998.
• Amazon API Gateway's console has a 'Download SDK' button that generates code in 8 languages — all based on parsing the OpenAPI spec. The underlying approach mirrors what curl-to-code converters do: transform a request description into language-idiomatic HTTP code.

FAQ

Does it handle all cURL flags?

Common flags: -H/--header, -d/--data, --data-raw, -X/--request, -u/--user, --form, -k/--insecure, -b/--cookie, -c, -L/--location, --compressed. Less common flags (--resolve, --cacert, multi-handle operations) are logged as unsupported.

Can it convert in the other direction — code to cURL?

This tool converts cURL to code only. For code to cURL, the API request builder tool has a 'copy as cURL' export button. Postman and Insomnia also export as cURL natively.

How does it handle authentication in cURL commands?

-u username:password generates HTTP Basic auth headers. --oauth2-bearer generates Authorization: Bearer headers. API key headers (-H 'X-API-Key: xxx') are passed through as literal headers in the generated code.