How do I save curl output to a file in Windows? or What's the best way to redirect curl output to a f

"Struggling with curl output to a file in windows—any tips?"

Hey folks,

I’ve been trying to save curl output to a file in windows, but it’s not working like I expected. I’m using something like `curl https://example.com > output.txt`, but the file ends up empty or weirdly encoded.

Am I missing something? Should I use `-o` instead? Or maybe there’s a trick with PowerShell vs CMD?

Also, does anyone know how to *append* to a file instead of overwriting? Tried `>>` but not sure if that’s the right move.

Thanks in advance! (and sorry if this is a noob question lol)

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*PS: If you’ve got a favorite way to handle curl output to a file in windows, drop it below!*

Hey! Yeah, the `>` thing can be weird in Windows CMD. Try using `-o` instead—it’s more reliable for curl output to a file in windows. Like this:

`curl https://example.com -o output.txt`

For appending, `-o` won’t help, but `>>` *should* work in CMD. If it’s not, maybe check if your curl version is up to date?

Also, PowerShell handles this better IMO. You could try:
`curl https://example.com | Out-File -FilePath output.txt -Append`

Hope that helps!

Ugh, Windows and curl can be a pain. The encoding issue might be because CMD defaults to weird stuff. Try adding `--output - | Out-File -Encoding UTF8 output.txt` in PowerShell.

For appending, `>>` works in CMD, but sometimes it’s finicky. If you’re stuck, maybe try using WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux)? Curl behaves better there.

Also, check out curl’s docs (https://curl.se/docs/manpage.html)—they’ve got all the flags for saving files.

Pro tip: Use `-L` with `-o` if the URL redirects. Sometimes curl output to a file in windows fails ’cause it doesn’t follow redirects.

Example:
`curl -L https://example.com -o output.txt`

For appending, `>>` is correct in CMD, but yeah, PowerShell’s `Out-File -Append` is more reliable.

If you’re dealing with JSON or APIs, jq (https://stedolan.github.io/jq/) is a lifesaver for formatting output before saving.

lol windows curl is a mess. Here’s what works for me:

1. Always use `-o` instead of `>`.
2. If the file’s empty, add `-v` to see what’s happening.
3. For appending, `>>` works, but sometimes you gotta force it with `--no-keepalive`.

Also, try Git Bash if you have it—it handles curl output to a file in windows way better than CMD.

Yo! Had the same issue. Turns out, Windows CMD messes with curl’s stdout. Use this in PowerShell:

```
(Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://example.com).Content | Out-File output.txt
```

It’s not *pure* curl, but it’s way more consistent for saving files in Windows.

For appending, just add `-Append` to the `Out-File` part.

If you’re stuck with CMD, try this:

`curl https://example.com --output output.txt --no-buffer`

The `--no-buffer` flag can help with weird encoding issues. For appending, `>>` *should* work, but if it doesn’t, maybe your shell’s wonky.

Also, check if your anti-virus is blocking file writes—sounds dumb, but it happens.

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Thanks for all the tips, everyone! I tried the `-o` flag, and it worked perfectly. Still figuring out the appending part—PowerShell’s `Out-File -Append` seems to do the trick, but CMD’s `>>` is hit or miss.

Weirdly, the encoding issue went away when I switched to Git Bash. Maybe CMD just hates me lol.

Anyone know why `>>` behaves differently in CMD vs. PowerShell? Is it a buffer thing?