How can I use curl to show response headers in my requests?

22 Replies, 1387 Views

Hey everyone,

So, I’ve been messing around with curl and trying to figure out how to curl show response headers in my requests. I know it’s probably something simple, but I’m kinda stuck lol.

I tried using `-I` but that only gives me the headers, not the full response. I want both the headers *and* the body, ya know?

Turns out, you can use `-i` (lowercase) to curl show response headers along with the body. Like this:
```bash
curl -i https://example.com
```
Works like a charm!

Also, if you *only* want the headers, `-I` (uppercase) is the way to go.

Hope this helps someone else who’s scratching their head like I was. Cheers! 🍻

P.S. If there’s a better way, lmk! Always down to learn more.
Nice find! I was also stuck on this for a while. Another cool trick is using `-v` for verbose mode, which gives you *everything*—headers, body, and even the request details. It’s a bit messy but super helpful for debugging.

If you’re into tools, Postman is great for visualizing headers and responses without messing with curl show response headers manually.
Yo, thanks for sharing! I’ve been using `-i` for ages, but I didn’t know about `-I` for headers-only. Super handy!

If you’re on Windows, you might wanna check out Git Bash or WSL for a smoother curl experience. Makes life easier when dealing with curl show response headers stuff.
Hey, just wanted to add that if you’re working with APIs a lot, tools like HTTPie or Insomnia are awesome alternatives. They make it easier to see headers and responses without typing out curl commands every time.

But yeah, `-i` is the OG for curl show response headers and body. Solid tip!
For anyone who’s curious, you can also use `-D -` to dump headers to stdout and still get the body. Like this:
```bash
curl -D - https://example.com
```
It’s another way to curl show response headers without losing the body.
If you’re into scripting, you can pipe the output to `grep` or `awk` to filter just the headers or specific parts of the response. Makes it easier to automate stuff when you’re dealing with curl show response headers in bulk.
Pro tip: Combine `-i` with `-o` to save the output to a file. Super useful if you’re testing APIs and want to review the headers and body later.

```bash
curl -i -o output.txt https://example.com
```
Hey everyone,

Thanks for all the awesome replies! I tried the `-v` flag, and it’s definitely a game-changer for debugging. Also, shoutout to the person who mentioned `jq`—just installed it, and it’s already making my life easier.

I’m still curious about formatting the output, though. Anyone know if there’s a way to color-code the headers or body? Or maybe a tool that does that automatically?

Cheers! 🍻
If you’re on macOS or Linux, don’t forget about `jq` for parsing JSON responses. It’s a lifesaver when you’re dealing with APIs and need to curl show response headers and body in a readable format.
For debugging, I always use `-v` instead of `-i`. It gives you the full request and response, including SSL handshake details. A bit overwhelming at first, but super powerful for troubleshooting.



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