How to Convert a Postman Request to cURL?

If you’re a web developer, quality assurance engineer, or system administrator, chances are you’re familiar with Postman, a crucial tool for API testing. However, there are instances where you may need to convert a Postman request to cURL, a command-line tool for data transfer. This article provides a simple step-by-step guide on how to perform this conversion.

What is Postman?

Postman is a popular API client that makes it easier for developers to create, share, test, and document APIs. It’s a great tool for exploring APIs – you can send requests, examine responses, and even generate code snippets in various programming languages.

What is cURL?

cURL is a command-line tool utilized for transferring data to or from a server using different protocols such as HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, and more. It is widely employed for testing APIs due to its support for various protocols and its versatility as a command-line utility.

Why Convert Postman Request to cURL?

Converting a Postman request to a cURL command serves various purposes and brings several advantages:

• Command-Line Execution: Enables direct command-line execution of API requests.
• Portability: Easily shareable and integrable into scripts or documentation.
• Debugging: Facilitates troubleshooting and debugging outside of Postman.
• Version Control: Enhances collaboration and consistency in API testing.
• Automation: Supports integration into CI/CD pipelines for automated testing.
• Learning Tool: Aids in understanding HTTP fundamentals and API interactions.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works across different operating systems and environments.

Steps to Convert Postman Request to cURL

Step 1: Setup and Send Request in Postman. First, launch Postman and setup your request. You can send a GET, POST, PUT, DELETE or any other type of HTTP request. Fill out the request URL, headers, and body as per your requirements.

Step 2: Open the Code Snippet Window. Once you’ve set up your request, look for the ‘Code’ button located on the right side of the Postman interface, next to the request sending button. Click this button to open the code snippet window.

Step 3: Choose cURL from the Dropdown Menu. In the code snippet window, you will see a dropdown menu. Click on it and select ‘cURL’ from the list of languages and tools.

Step 4: Copy the cURL Command. After selecting ‘cURL’, you will see the cURL command equivalent of your Postman request. Click the ‘Copy to Clipboard’ button to copy the cURL command.

That’s it! You’ve successfully converted a Postman request to a cURL command. Now you can paste this command in your terminal or command prompt and execute it.

Additional Features

• Code Generation in Multiple Languages: Postman offers the convenience of generating code snippets in various programming languages beyond cURL. You can generate code in languages like JavaScript, Python, Ruby, and more, facilitating integration with different systems and frameworks.
• Sharing cURL Commands: Once you generate a cURL command in Postman, you can easily share it with your team members. This feature proves beneficial when team members don’t have Postman installed or are operating in different environments, ensuring seamless collaboration and execution of API requests.

GET Request

Postman Request:

GET /api/users HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com

cURL Command:

curl -X GET "http://example.com/api/users"

POST Request

Postman Request:

POST /api/users HTTP/1.1
Host: example.com
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "name": "Pavan",
  "email": "pavan@geeksforgeeks.org"
}

cURL Command:

curl -X POST "http://example.com/api/users" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Pavan",
    "email": "pavan@geeksforgeeks.org"
  }'

That’s it! As you can see, converting a Postman request to a cURL command is pretty straightforward. Just remember to choose ‘cURL’ from the dropdown menu in the Code Snippet Window.