How do I convert curl to General?

## Working with Custom Headers in curl HTTP headers carry metadata about the request and are essential for authentication, content negotiation, and API versioning. curl provides the -H flag to set any custom header. ### Setting a Single Header bash curl -H "Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGci..." https://api.example.com/me ### Setting Multiple Headers Chain multiple -H flags for additional headers: bash curl https://api.example.com/data \ -H "Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGci..." \ -H "Accept

curl with Custom HTTP Headers

Q: When should I convert curl commands to General?

An API consumer needs to pass authentication tokens, specify response formats, and include tracking headers when integrating with a third-party service.

Add custom HTTP headers to curl requests including Authorization, Content-Type, and Accept. Learn header management and convert header patterns to code.

General

Detailed Explanation

Working with Custom Headers in curl

HTTP headers carry metadata about the request and are essential for authentication, content negotiation, and API versioning. curl provides the -H flag to set any custom header.

Setting a Single Header

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGci..." https://api.example.com/me

Setting Multiple Headers

Chain multiple -H flags for additional headers:

curl https://api.example.com/data \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGci..." \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -H "X-Request-ID: abc-123" \
  -H "Cache-Control: no-cache"

Common Headers

Content-Type: Tells the server the format of the request body (application/json, text/xml, multipart/form-data)
Accept: Tells the server what response format you prefer
Authorization: Carries credentials (Bearer tokens, Basic auth, API keys)
User-Agent: Identifies the client making the request
X-Custom-Header: Application-specific headers prefixed with X-

Removing Default Headers

curl sets some headers automatically (like User-Agent). To remove a default header, set it with an empty value:

curl -H "User-Agent:" https://api.example.com/data

Reading Headers from a File

For complex header configurations, store them in a file and use -H @headers.txt (curl 7.55+):

curl -H @headers.txt https://api.example.com/data

Viewing Request Headers

Use -v to see the exact headers curl sends:

curl -v https://api.example.com/data

The lines prefixed with > show outgoing request headers, while < shows incoming response headers. This is invaluable for debugging header-related issues in API integrations.

Headers are the first thing to check when an API returns unexpected errors, as incorrect Content-Type or missing Authorization headers are among the most common causes of 400 and 401 responses.

Use Case